Never Look Back
by rizlow
Summary: Bethany Rae Cooper didn't realize when she met the Winchesters in her family's bar and grill that her life would never be the same. But she's always believed that everything happens for a reason, even if it's not exactly what you were expecting...
1. Chapter 1

"Bethany Rae! Get your butt back in here!" Beth heard her stepfather's voice clearly through the front door as she strode angrily away from the bar, her long dark ponytail swinging with each step. "Beth! I mean it!"

"I'm out of here, Rick. I'm done. See you around," she shouted back, unlocking her dingy-white beat-up '65 Ford Fairlane and climbing behind the wheel, slamming the door. She threw up a cloud of dust as she backed up and tore out of the dirt parking lot, fishtailing a little as she hit the main road.

Her thoughts flew furiously as she drove. Seriously! Did Rick and her mom think she was going to let them treat her like a child forever? She was twenty-freaking-five years old, and they had the nerve to try and tell her who she could go out with! The guys that left about a half an hour before her were both-well, hot, with that sense of danger around them that seemed to draw her like an alcoholic to his whiskey. And when the one who introduced himself as Dean had asked her to leave with him, her mother had come unglued and ordered them out of the bar. Actually, unglued was an understatement-she had never seen her mom so upset, and accusing her of overreacting just made things worse. Dean had slipped her his cell number as he left, winking, and she had stuffed it into her pocket so her mother wouldn't see. Beth reached for her pocket-the scrap of paper was still there. She smiled defiantly to herself, then reached for the ipod and cranked some tunes, driving a little too fast as usual and letting the music wash over her, fitting her angry mood.

She came to a screeching stop in the driveway of their faded two-story house, slamming her car door and walking with determination to the front door. She took the stairs two at a time, grabbing a suitcase from her closet and throwing clothes into it with abandon. She filled a duffle bag with more, then grabbed a box and added her CD's, laptop, a few books and pictures, and anything else she could think of on the spur of the moment. She had threatened before, but this time she was really leaving, and she wanted to be gone before her mother or Rick had a chance to catch up to her. She loaded her car quickly, then left her small Midwest home town in her rearview mirror, not even caring about a destination. All she cared about was getting away.

She thought with frustration of the two years she had been gone from home, free, pursuing what she wanted to do with her life. It had been two-no, three years now. Nursing school. She did well, too-and then her mom had the heart attack, and she came home to help out, then let them guilt her into staying to help run the bar and grill. Gave up her dream to help her family, and in return they tried to run her life. Well-no more.

It was already 1 a.m., and she knew she needed to find a motel room for the night. Hopefully they wouldn't follow her out of town. They'd think this was just a tantrum, and by the time they realized differently, they hopefully wouldn't be able to find her. Not that she didn't plan to let them know she was all right-just not for a few days. She spotted the motel sign, lights partly burned out, about 30 miles from Lovell, just on the edge of Greybull, and pulled into the parking lot. She walked into the office, reaching for the cash in her pocket, and stopped dead as she met the green gaze and wide smile of Dean Winchester, who was standing near the front door.

"Well-look who just crashed our party, Sammy," he said, his voice husky and warm. "Beth, right?"

Beth felt herself blush a little, nodding with a half smile. "Yeah. And you're Dean, and you," she said, turning towards the taller man, "are Sam."

"Right," Sam answered, nodding with a friendly smile. "I take it you continued that shouting match with your mother after we left."

"You have no idea," she answered, shaking her head as she stepped up to the desk. "Single room, please." She registered and paid for her room, then turned to face the brothers, who stood waiting for her to finish. Dean's smile was gone from his face, and she looked at him quizzically. "Something wrong?"

He shook his head, squinting a little as he looked at her. "Look, I didn't mean to cause trouble for you. Didn't even know that was your mother, in fact. I hope you're not burning any bridges here."

She looked back at him, one hand tucked into the back pocket of her jeans. "Don't worry about me. This has been coming for a long time. Tonight was just the last straw." They walked out of the office together, grabbing bags from their vehicles and heading for the doors to their rooms, which were next door to each other.

"Want to come in for a drink?" Dean threw the invitation over his shoulder as he entered their room, then turned to wait for an answer.

She stared at him, tempted for a moment, but then smiled and shook her head. "Look, no offense, but I don't really know you guys. But thanks for the offer."

The smirk was back on Dean's face, and it made her heart falter a little. "Smart girl," he countered, and Sam smiled as he waved goodnight, closing the door behind them.

Beth entered her room, throwing her bag on the bed and shaking her head at the hideous early-70's decor. She dead-bolted her door and headed for the shower, hoping it wasn't too disgusting. She was pleasantly surprised at the cleanliness, which helped somewhat to make up for the ugly. She put on an old threadbare t-shirt and a pair of shorts, brushed through her long dark hair, and crawled into bed, sighing with relief and exhaustion. It didn't take long for her to drift off to sleep, deciding that morning would be soon enough to figure out where she was going.

A loud crash jolted Beth from a deep sleep, and she lay there, not sure if she had really heard it or if she had been dreaming. She squinted at the alarm clock, which read 4:23; then another crash and a muffled shout startled her completely awake, her heart pounding. The sounds were coming from next door, Sam and Dean's room, and she scrambled out of her bed, heading for the door. She stepped outside, planning to knock and ask them if they were all right, but the door was standing wide open. She moved aside barely in time to avoid being flattened by a body flying out of the opening, and stood open-mouthed as Dean looked up at her, his face bloodied. "Get back to your room!" he ordered harshly, launching himself up from the ground and rejoining the chaos inside. Beth backed up, her eyes wide, and did as she was told, listening, horrified, to the noises coming through the walls.

A few seconds later, it seemed as if the silence was deafening in contrast. Beth debated with herself, but concern for the men next door won out, and she left her room again, going to their door. Sam was slowly getting up, while Dean was-holy crap, he was pulling a knife from the body he knelt next to on the floor. A small sound escaped her lips, before she had time to clap her hand over her mouth. Dean's expression as he looked towards her frightened her almost more than the scene before her, and she turned and ran back to her room, Sam's voice calling out her name behind her. She grabbed her phone, shaking with shock, and heard Sam calling her name, banging on her door. "Beth, please-just let me talk to you. I need to explain what's going on." He sounded calm, but she was scared out of her wits.

"Leave me alone! I just saw your brother stab someone! I have to get the police!"

"No, Beth-please. Just let me explain. Please." She was hesitating, and she didn't understand why.

"How do you explain him pulling a knife out of someone's body?"

The next voice she heard was Dean's. "Beth-open the door. We need to talk."

"No freaking way! You are not getting in here!" The door flew inward with a crash, and Beth backed away with a small shriek, dropping her phone and backing into the wall. The panic she felt was so intense she was seeing spots before her eyes, and she could hear Sam's voice trying to calm her.

"Beth, please listen. We're not going to hurt you. Just calm down and let us explain." Sam walked towards her slowly, stopping to pull a chair out from the small table nearby. "Please, Beth." He nodded towards the chair, and Beth peeled herself from the wall and perched there, ready for instant flight. She glanced, terrified, at Dean, who sat on the bed next to his brother, staring at the floor, the muscles in his jaw working. He picked that moment to look up, and she was relieved to see that the murderous, chilling expression he had worn earlier was gone. He looked frustrated and tired, and he spoke softly to her.

"Beth, I know this is going to be hard to believe, but what we just killed in there-they were demons."

Her dark eyes widened in disbelief. "Demons." She turned her gaze to Sam, who looked back at her calmly, and nodded as he answered.

"That's right-demons."

"Demons? Like 'The Exorcist?'"

Dean's voice was quiet but tense. "Yeah. Demons. Head-spinning, pea soup-spewing, pain-in-my-ass demons." His cell phone rang just then, and he grabbed it roughly from his pocket, standing and moving to just outside the door of her room. "Bobby-got anything?"

Beth looked at Sam again, her mind reeling. "Sam, seriously? Those things are real? I mean, I thought they were, but not here. In hell. Where they belong."

"They're real. Unfortunately. And their boss is kind of pissed at us. He thinks we have something that belongs to him, and he wants it back."

"Satan is pissed at you? That's great."

"Not Satan. Crowley," Dean answered as he entered the room. "Bobby's got nothing right now, Sam. But he's working on a better way to hide us from them. Apparently he's found a way around our hex bags."

"Crowley?!" Beth's voice was incredulous as she stared back at Dean. "Hex bags? You guys are seriously yanking my chain."

"No, we're not." He met her gaze full-on, and she almost flinched. "I know how crazy this sounds, believe me."

"If those are demons, why don't they disappear when you kill them?"

"This isn't 'Charmed,' sweetheart. They don't disappear. At least the bodies they're possessing don't. What we have in there," he nodded towards their room, "is what's left of the poor sons of bitches they possessed. Most of the time the only thing keeping the bodies alive are the demons inside. They just wear them like a rental tux for the prom."

A single tear was making its way down Beth's face, and she brushed it angrily away. "You're telling me that those things can get inside anybody? Every person I meet could really be a demon? They just stroll around up here like they own the place?"

"Look, we're not trying to scare you, Beth." Sam spoke in a soothing voice, but she looked at him, eyes wide with fear.

"Really? You're scaring the crap out of me. Good job."

Dean approached the table, pulling the other chair out and sitting down in front of her. "Beth, I'm sorry. I wish you had never seen any of this. But you have to believe us, we are the good guys."

"How do you know those things aren't going to possess you? How do you..." Dean's hand went to the neck of his t-shirt, and he pulled it down to reveal a symbol tattooed on his upper left chest. She looked over at Sam, who was doing the same.

"Anti-possession symbol," Sam answered quietly. "We had amulets, but we figured in our line of work, we needed something more permanent."

"And what exactly is your line of work?" Beth asked, her voice shaking a little. She looked up into Dean's green eyes, and was surprised to see a brief flash of vulnerability, quickly masked.

"We're hunters. We hunt demons, and monsters, and ghosts. Whatever evil thing we run across. We try to save as many people as we can." He looked back up at her, unflinching, waiting for her reaction.

Beth stared back at him, her eyes wide. A few seconds passed before she shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment. "You guys have to be crazy. That's the only explanation."

"Well, darling, I suppose you could be right. But what they just told you is the truth." Beth almost fell to the floor as she leapt from her chair and whirled around to see where the sarcastic, condescending voice was coming from. Dean's chair hit the floor as he stood, an angry sneer on his face.

"Crowley!"

"Good. You know me, and I know you. Now tell me, who is this charming new friend of yours?"

"Where did you come from?" Beth stammered, backing up by the headboard, as far as she could get away from this new threat.

"Hell, darling-and I need to get back. You can't find good help these days."

"Then you should go, don't you think?" Dean growled. "And she has nothing to do with this, or with us."

Crowley's brows raised, and he threw a disbelieving look Dean's direction. "Really? Seems like you were all getting rather cozy together. Breaking the ice, as it were. And she does look like your type, Dean." After a few seconds of silence, he sighed impatiently. "All right. I can see we're getting nowhere like this. Why don't you just tell me where it is, and we can avoid any more unpleasantness for the time being."

"Screw you," Dean ground out between clenched teeth, barely getting the words out before Crowley sent him flying with a wave of his hand. He crashed against the far wall, landing with a thud and a grunt of pain. Sam took a step towards the demon before Crowley spoke again.

"Really, Moose, do you think that's wise?" He looked towards Beth, who was still cowering by the bed. "You try to raise them right, teach them how to behave, and this is the thanks you get." He twisted his hand in the air, clenching it into a fist, and Sam cried out in pain, dropping to his knees on the floor.

"Stop it! What do you want?!" Beth screamed at him, running to Sam's side. Crowley flashed an evil smile, and released Sam, who leaned back on the bed, breathing heavily.

"I like her, she's got spirit. Hope she can keep it." Crowley folded his arms and continued. "Now, boys, I grow tired of this little game. Where is the Colt?"

Dean was sitting up slowly across the room. "We don't have it, you brain-dead dick. Remember a couple of years ago, the hunters that killed us and sent us to heaven? They cleaned us out. Haven't been able to find them since."

Crowley sighed again. "Lovely. I think you Winchester boys had better get your priorities straight. I need that gun. And you need me to take you off my most wanted list. Sounds like a fair exchange, don't you think?" He tilted his head and grinned, then focused on Beth, who still knelt next to Sam. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, ducks. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again soon. I look forward to it." As she gazed back at him, quaking with fear, he vanished.

"Sam, are you all right?" Beth asked quietly. Sam nodded, and she rose to cross the room, kneeling next to Dean, who was leaning back against the wall under the windows. "Dean? How about you?"

Dean looked at her, his brows drawn together in frowning disbelief. "I'll be fine. Sammy, my shoulder's dislocated again. I could use a hand."  
Beth stood and moved away as Sam came to help his brother. She grabbed the ice bucket from the dresser and headed out to the ice machine a few doors down from their rooms. She was only gone for a moment, but as she drew near her door with the ice, Dean came flying out towards her. A look of pure relief crossed his face, followed by another frown as he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the room. "What the hell were you doing?"

"Getting some ice for your shoulder! Why the hell are you yelling at me?" She jerked her arm from his grasp, her dark-lashed eyes spitting fire back at him before she turned to go to the bathroom for a towel. She made an ice pack and, despite her anger, positioned it very carefully on his shoulder. He raised his other hand to hold it in place, glancing up at her with an abashed expression.

"Thank you," he muttered, then fired off a glare at his brother, who stood behind Beth, trying unsuccessfully to smother a grin.

"You're welcome." Beth's voice was short, but her hands were gentle as she put them on his face, tilting it to one side, then the other as she examined the cut on his forehead and one on his lip from the previous demon fight. "These need to be cleaned," she murmured, turning to go back to the bathroom for the first aid kit and a clean cloth. Sam cleared his throat, and Dean shot him a murderous look, but his brother turned his back, shoulders shaking with silent laughter, as Beth approached. She took the warm washcloth and cleaned the cut on his forehead, then his split lip. He spoke softly as she dabbed antibiotic ointment on his forehead.

"You clean up after a lot of bar fights?"

"A few. And I went to nursing school for a couple of years, just didn't get to finish."

"Dean." Sam's voice held a warning, and Beth looked down at Dean's face in time to catch a leering grin.

Beth looked at him sternly. "Really?" But the corners of her mouth teased at a smile in spite of her efforts to stifle it.

"Could have used you in a couple of hospitals I've been in," Dean teased, and Beth shook her head as she gathered up the first aid supplies. "So, when do I get my sponge bath?" That earned him a wet washcloth in the face, and Beth walked to the bathroom to put away the kit.

Sam shook his head, a disgusted look on his face. "Jerk."

"Bitch," Dean retorted, tossing the wet rag at him.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean watched as Beth loaded the bag into the back of her car, noting the nervous touch she gave to the amulet now dangling from a chain around her neck, assuring herself it was still there. He clenched his jaw in frustration, and felt Sam's presence behind him. "We had no choice, Dean."

"I know. But destroying someone's peace of mind-forever-it sucks, Sammy." He walked towards her, handing her the cup of coffee Sam had just brought. She nodded her thanks and looked up at him expectantly. "We'll stop and fill up on the way out of town, then we're heading to Sioux Falls. You can follow us, or we can park your ride, if you want."

"I'll follow," she said quietly, dropping her gaze to the ground.

"Want Sam to ride shotgun?" She shook her head, turning towards her car.

"I'll be fine," she said, unconsciously touching the amulet again, and climbing behind the wheel. Dean closed her door and turned, heading for the Impala.

They pulled into the gas station and filled their tanks, and Dean lifted his hood, checking the oil. She did the same, shaking her head slightly as she tried not to focus on the insanity of what she was doing. Driving 700 miles to somewhere she'd never been, with two men she'd just met, and no one knew where she was. Serial killer best case scenario. "Want me to do that?" She looked up to see Dean standing next to her, and rolled her eyes.

"I think I can manage, thanks."

"Hey, just trying to help," he said gruffly, raising his hands and backing away.

"Sorry, I didn't mean..."

"Forget it."

"Dean-thanks for offering." His expression softened, and he nodded before heading back to the Impala as she closed her hood. Sam came out of the station, more coffee and a couple of bags in his hands.

"Here, breakfast and more coffee for the road." Beth smiled at him, taking them gratefully.

"Thanks, Sam. You didn't have to do this." She put them in the car and turned to head for the building, but Sam put a hand on her arm.

"It's taken care of, Beth." She started to protest, but he shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Now, you have our numbers?" She nodded, and he continued. "Call if you need something, or if you need to stop. And if you change your mind about wanting some company, let me know." He smiled, flashing an adorable set of dimples, and Beth shook her head as she smiled back.

"You Winchester boys are kinda bossy," she teased, and got into her car as Sam carried the rest of the food to the Impala. They pulled out of the station and headed down the highway to begin the eleven hour trek to Sioux Falls.

They stopped for lunch and gas at a truck stop just west of the Wyoming/South Dakota border. Once again, Beth was too late to pay for her own fuel, and she protested as they walked to the front door of the restaurant. "You guys can't keep doing this!"

"It's the least we can do after screwing up the rest of your life, Beth."

She smiled as she sat down at the table, looking into Dean's face. He wasn't smiling, and hers faded quickly. "Okay, why do you think you messed up my life?"

A few moments of silence passed before he spoke to her. "Tell me something-would you rather go back to not knowing about all the nasties in the world? If you had a choice?" His green eyes gazed unflinchingly at her, and she felt her heart rate jump a little.

"Dean..." Sam interrupted, a warning note to his voice, but Dean flashed him a look, and he shook his head, his lips pressed tightly together, and stopped.

"Would you? If we could undo the last 24 hours for you-would you do it?"

She looked back at him steadily. "You're asking me if you had a-a flashy thing like in 'Men in Black,' if I'd want you to erase my memory?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, if we could do that-would you?"  
Beth glanced again at Sam, who did not look happy, and fixed her gaze back on Dean. "No. I believe things happen for a reason. I don't know why, but apparently I'm supposed to know about the demons and monsters in the world. And you two didn't just stop in at Rick's by chance either. The things that happen and the people we meet in our lives-I believe there's a purpose to all of it. If there's not, then what's the point?"

Dean's brows were drawn together in a frown, but he waited until the waitress had set their plates down in front of them and left before continuing. "So we're just pawns on God's big chessboard?"

"I didn't say that. We can make choices about the people in our lives, and the things that happen to us, Dean. But doing some hocus-pocus to erase the things that we don't like isn't choice, it's-gutless." She took a drink of her soda and continued. "Like erasing our memories is possible anyway. Feeling philosophical today?"

Dean looked at her steadily for a couple of seconds before breaking eye contact and picking up his burger, the corner of his mouth turned up in a half-smile. "Yeah, that's me-Socrates Winchester." Beth laughed, and they all relaxed a little as they ate their lunch, keeping the conversation on trivial things.

As they walked back to their vehicles, Beth looked admiringly at the black Impala, trailing a hand down the front fender. "I love your car," she said. "I wish mine sounded like this one. What year is it?"

"'67. It belonged to our Dad." Beth met Dean's gaze, and he flashed her a smile that made her feel breathless for a moment. "Want to ride shotgun for awhile? Sam can drive yours, if you want."

She looked up at Sam. "Would you mind, Sam?" He smiled in answer, shaking his head.

"Nah, I don't mind. Feel free to put up with him for a few miles." She tossed him her keys, grinning, and climbed into the Impala.  
Dean got in and started the engine, then smiled at Beth as she closed her eyes for a moment, feeling-she wasn't sure what she was feeling exactly, but between the roar of that engine and the expression on Dean's face, she was suddenly very warm. "You look good in that seat," he said, and she grinned back at him.

"This car is amazing," she said, laying her head back on the seat and letting the sensation of the music and the rumble of the engine wash over her.

"Hear that, Baby-she likes you," Dean said, patting the dash. Then he shifted into drive and they pulled out of the parking lot, leaving Sam and the Fairlane in a cloud of dust.

They drove for a few miles without speaking. The power of the car and the beat of the music gave Beth an almost euphoric feeling, and she couldn't keep a faint smile from her face. She rested her head on the back of the seat, her eyes closed, letting the sounds and the breeze from Dean's partially open window flow over her.

Dean was having a hard time concentrating on the road; the look on Beth's face was very inviting, and her slight movements to the beat of the music were driving him to distraction. He either needed to start a conversation, or find a place to park, so he took a deep breath and dived in.

"So-the guy at the bar, you called him Rick. That's not your dad?"

Beth sat up straighter in her seat and opened her eyes, and Dean kept his gaze resolutely on the road. "No, he's my stepdad. He's a good guy, for the most part. But I lost my dad when I was about 13."

"Oh yeah? Can I ask what happened?"

"My mom told me it was a hunting accident. He went on a lot of hunting trips, I think. I don't remember a lot about it, I just remember when he came home."

"What is your last name, anyway?"

"Cooper. Bethany Rae Cooper from Lovell, Wyoming. Sounds like a hick name and a hick town, doesn't it?"

"So what happened to nursing school?" He threw her a sidelong glance and smiled. "I promise, no naughty nurse jokes."

Beth laughed. "Good." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I was almost through the two-year LPN program. Then my mom had a heart attack. She was in really bad shape for quite a while, and needed care, and Rick needed help at the bar. So I left school, and I just never went back. They always talked me into staying a little longer. I guess they'll have to figure it out now."

"So, what made you want to do that? I mean, you're good at it-you kind of have that gentle touch. I mean..." Dean stopped, flustered, and Beth grinned.

"I don't know, I kind of always wanted to help people. I remember one time my dad came home, he had gotten into a fight or something, and had cuts and bruises all over his face. I was only 7 or 8 at the time. I made him sit down, and I cleaned him up and put bandaids all over him. Somewhere I have a picture of it."

Dean smiled crookedly. "I can imagine you doing that."

"I'm sure he had a great time pulling them off of his eyebrows." Dean chuckled, and Beth looked at him. "You don't do that very often, do you?"

"What?"

"Laugh."

He hesitated, then answered, "Not nearly enough, Beth. Thanks for that one."

"You're welcome. I'm sure I can find some embarrassing stories from my life that will have you rolling on the floor."

"I can't wait." Beth yawned, and Dean reached into the back seat, grabbing a sweatshirt and handing it to her. "Here-you can ball this up and use it for a pillow. Get a nap in, I don't mind. Sam does it all the time." She gave him a grateful smile, tucking the shirt between her head and the door. Before they covered another mile, she was sound asleep, and Dean smiled a little, pushing down the guilt he felt at the burden of knowledge she had to carry now. She said she didn't want to forget, but he still wondered if calling Cas would have been a better idea than dragging her along to Bobby's.

They made a quick pit stop at Chamberlain, and Beth went back to her car, feeling guilty for taking Sam's usual seat. And she needed a little time to think, anyway. She didn't seem to be able to do that very clearly around Dean. She climbed into her ride, then saw him approaching with a large size soda. He handed it to her through the open window, smiling at her thanks. "Call if you need to stop before Sioux Falls-I want to get to Bobby's before nightfall, if we can." Beth nodded in agreement, then flinched a little as Dean reached towards her. He held the amulet they had given to her in his hand for a second, then tucked it underneath the neck of her t-shirt. She caught her breath a little as his fingers brushed against her skin, and felt the pendant fall down inside her shirt. "You should keep that on the inside, harder for it to get grabbed and pulled off."

Beth nodded, her mouth dry. "Thanks." He held their eye contact for a moment longer, then straightened and headed to the Impala. She grabbed the drink he had brought to her and took a long pull from the straw, then started her engine and pulled out behind them, blowing out a tense breath and shaking her head at the effect he had on her.

Sam glanced over at Dean as he drove, and smiled to himself a little. "What?" Dean asked grumpily, and Sam's smile grew a little wider.

"Nothing."

"Sam..."

"I just think she's getting under your skin, that's all." Dean kept his eyes forward, a quietly derisive sound escaping from his lips, and Sam grinned to himself, looking out his window.


	3. Chapter 3

The Singer Salvage sign came into sight just as the sun sank below the horizon. Dean pulled in through the gate and drove to his usual parking spot near the house, and Beth pulled in beside him. She got out and stood next to her car, unsure of what was expected of her.

"Need some help with your stuff?" Sam asked, and she looked back at him, hesitant.

"Are we staying here?" she asked, and he smiled reassuringly as he opened her back door and grabbed the suitcase.

"Yeah, we're staying."

Dean walked into the house ahead of them, calling out, "Bobby?" as he walked into the kitchen and raided the refrigerator for a beer.

"In here," the answer floated towards them from the next room, and Dean headed that direction. Sam set Beth's suitcase down and put a hand gently on her back, guiding her with him into a room containing a big walnut desk in front of a blazing fireplace. "Welcome home, boys. Who's your friend?"

Dean took her hand to pull her forward. "This is Beth Cooper. Beth, this is Bobby Singer."

Beth smiled shyly at the older man, murmuring, "Nice to meet you." His eyes wrinkled pleasantly as he smiled at her, and he rubbed the back of his hand roughly at his beard, then slightly adjusted the cap atop his head. He sat at the desk, surrounded by books and an open bottle of whiskey, a half-full glass at his right hand.

"Hi, Beth. This place ain't much, but you're welcome to whatever you need here. Just assume any guns you see around here are loaded, they're pretty much part of the decor."

Beth's smile widened as his friendly manner set her at ease. "Thank you-I'll try to remember that."

"Cooper? Where you from, Beth?"

"Lovell, Wyoming."

"I knew a Cooper from Wyoming. What's your daddy's name?"

"He's been gone for several years. His name was Bill."

"Not Billy Ray Cooper?" Bobby sounded incredulous as he asked.

Beth was looking at Bobby in disbelief. "Yeah, a few of his friends called him that."

Bobby was on his feet now, coming closer to Beth, and putting his hands on her shoulders. "You're little Bethany." He was shaking his head, grinning. "I must have looked at a thousand pictures of you over the years, your daddy never stopped talking about you." His smile faded slowly. "How long has he been gone, Bethany?"

"Almost 13 years now. He died in a hunting accident."

Bobby's eyes widened a little, and he looked up to see Dean give a slight shake of his head, a warning in his eyes. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Billy Ray was a good man." He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "How's your mama?" as he headed back to sit once again behind the desk.

Beth shrugged a little. "Right now, probably really worried and seriously pissed. She's all right, had a heart attack a few years ago, but she seems to be doing okay now. She's been remarried for about 10 years now."

Bobby looked seriously into Beth's brown eyes. "You'd better call her, girl, and let her know you're all right. I wouldn't mention my name, though-she never did like me very much. But she needs to know you're safe." She nodded, pulling her phone from her pocket and walking to the kitchen to make the call. Bobby looked at each of the boys in turn, disbelief on his face. "She doesn't know her daddy was a hunter?"

Dean shook his head emphatically. "Bobby, she didn't even know about demons, not until she witnessed some of the crap last night. And unfortunately, she met Crowley, too."

Bobby's brows drew together in a thunderous frown. "Balls!" He looked up at the boys again. "Chances are he knew her dad. And if he knows she came from a hunting family-well, she's as good as in this, now."

"No, Bobby." Dean's voice was quiet, but angry and adamant. "She is not in this."

Sam turned his head to make sure that Beth was still on the phone, then spoke softly. "Dean-you know Crowley has her scent now. We may as well show her the ropes, for her own safety if nothing else."

Dean glared first at Sam, then back at Bobby, his lips pressed together angrily. "Damn it, Bobby! This is our fault! She is not in this. Not if I have anything to say about it."

"I am not in what?" Beth's voice was calm, but angry sparks glowed in her dark eyes. "Somebody had better tell me what's going on, and by the way," she said, turning to Dean, "you have nothing to say about it." They exchanged glares for a few seconds as Bobby and Sam rolled their eyes at each other.

"All right, you two, take your corners," Bobby growled, and Dean turned towards the desk, grabbing the whiskey bottle and an empty glass, and pouring himself a generous portion.

"I'd like one of those too, if you don't mind," Beth said quietly. Dean looked at her for a moment, then grabbed another glass and poured her a shot. She took it and downed it in one fluid motion. "What do you not want me in on? What the hell is going on here?" Sam went to the kitchen, grabbing a chair, and brought it back, placing it behind Beth. She nodded her thanks and sat down, looking at them each in turn. "Please."

Bobby finally spoke, looking into her eyes. "Bethany, your daddy was a hunter." She nodded, confusion in her eyes.

"Beth," Sam said softly, and she turned her gaze to his face. "Bobby means our kind of hunter." Her eyes grew wide and she stared at Sam for a moment; then she stood, knocking the chair over and heading for the kitchen. They heard the door, and Dean slammed his glass to the desk and took off after her.

"Beth, wait," he shouted after her as she stalked towards their cars. "Beth!" She was pulling keys from her pocket, and Dean grabbed her arm, wresting them from her grasp.

"Give me my keys." Her voice was deadly calm, but she was shaking with rage. "Dean, give me those keys!" she shouted.

"No." He stuffed them deep into his pocket, shaking his head. "You are in no shape to drive anyway. Just calm down and talk to me, Beth."

"You knew, didn't you-you knew this whole time."

Dean was shaking his head again. "No, Beth-we didn't know. Not until Bobby said his name." She glared at him in disbelief. "I swear to you, Sam and I did not know about your dad."

Beth turned her back to Dean, shaking her head and taking a few steps as she talked. "My whole life they lied to me. My dad never told me the truth, and my mom-even after he was gone, she still..." She stalked angrily back to her car, bracing her hands on the trunk. Then she brought both fists down hard on the car, and the tears came. "Why did they lie to me, Dean? Why?" She felt his presence behind her, and he placed his hands on her upper arms. She hung her head and her shoulders began to shake with silent sobs.

Dean turned her around and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight as he tried to comfort her. She slid her arms around him and clung to him as he turned, leaning back against her car and letting her cry. He looked up to see Sam and Bobby standing a short distance away, concern on both faces, before they turned and slowly walked back to the house.

* * *

Bobby looked up a little later as he heard the door. Dean came in carrying a box, a duffle bag over one shoulder. He set them down in the kitchen and guided Beth to the bathroom where she could wash her face. She went in and closed the door, and he joined Sam and Bobby in the living room, dropping down onto the faded couch with a loud sigh.

Sam went silently to the fridge and grabbed a couple of longnecks, handing one to his brother as he returned and took a seat on a nearby chair. "She okay?"

Dean looked at him, frustration clear on his face. "Would you be?"

Beth walked into the room a moment later, and Sam looked at her sympathetically. "Want a beer?" She nodded, looking at the floor, and sitting on the edge of the couch where Dean sat, his feet up on the coffee table. She looked up at Bobby, who smiled ruefully at her. Sam came back with a cold beer, opening it for her, and she took it gratefully, taking a long pull from the bottle.

"Bethany, I'm sorry about all this," Bobby said softly. "I don't know how your daddy did it, but he managed to keep you completely out of the life. Your mama must have broken ties with everyone after he died, she was obviously trying to keep you safe."

Beth looked up at him, and Bobby smiled sadly at her swollen eyes. Her voice was quiet as she spoke. "Now I know why she had such a fit over Dean and Sam." She looked at Dean as she continued, "She knew you two were hunters. When you asked me to leave with you-I guess she knew what would happen. I can see it now, it was pure panic. She was scared to death because she knew what I'd be stepping into."

Bobby glared at Dean. "You tried to pick her up?" Dean shrugged his shoulders, his brows raised as he looked back at Bobby. "You're worse than a hound dog, I swear, boy!" Sam let out a short laugh, which he tried to cover with a cough as his brother glared at him.

"I didn't know," Dean said lamely, then gave up and took another drink of his beer.  
Bobby shook his head, muttering quietly. "Idjit."

* * *

Beth followed Bobby up the stairs and into a small bedroom, which already held her belongings. He stepped out into the hall for a moment and came back with an extra blanket, which she accepted with a half-hearted smile. "If there's anything you need, you just let one of us know," he said kindly, and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know this is all a lot to wrap your mind around-but try to get some sleep, all right? We can talk it out tomorrow, and I'll answer any questions you have. I won't lie to you, Bethany-I promise."

Beth smiled sadly at him. "Other than when I was in trouble-the only other person who ever called me Bethany was my dad," she said softly. Bobby squeezed her shoulder, understanding in his eyes, and turned to leave the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

She changed and crawled between the sheets, pulling the extra blanket over herself as well and curling up on her side. She was too exhausted to shed any more tears, and was soon sound asleep.

* * *

Dean paced the floor a couple of times before leaning against the kitchen doorway to look at Bobby, who was geared back in his chair behind the desk. "We have to find Roy and Walt, Bobby. We need that Colt. And we owe them, anyway. They shot Sam and I in cold blood, and that can't stand."

"I know, boy-but revenge is just gonna get you killed again. I've got some feelers out, but you need to focus on getting the Colt back. They'll get what's coming to them, believe me-you don't do that to your fellow hunters and not pay for it. Focus on the Colt, son."

"I'll focus on the Colt, Bobby. But I won't have any problem with a little revenge while I'm at it."


	4. Chapter 4

When Beth woke the next morning, the sun was sending a bright beam of light directly into her eyes. She squinted and moved out of its way, then grabbed her phone to check the time. It was mid-morning already, and she sat up, stretching. She threw a sweatshirt on over her t-shirt and shorts, and headed down the stairs barefoot. She walked into the kitchen to find Bobby starting a new pot of coffee. "Morning," he said, nodding to her, and she smiled in answer, heading for the bathroom. Before going back out the door, she stopped and looked in the mirror above the sink. Her eyes still looked a little puffy from the night before, and she ran her fingers through her hair to straighten out a few tangles. She sighed as she washed up a little, then headed out into the kitchen for some coffee.

"Sam and Dean still asleep?" she asked as she took the mug of coffee Bobby handed to her.

"The boys ran into town for some supplies. They'll be back soon. I made you some eggs and toast." He nodded towards the table, where a plate sat waiting for her.

"Bobby, you didn't have to do that!" she protested, but he shook his head.

"You've had a rough couple of nights, figured you could use a little food this morning, that's all." He looked a little embarrassed, and Beth took hold of his hand as she sat down at the table.

"Thank you, Bobby." She looked up at him, and he gave her a self-conscious little half-smile as she let go of his hand.

"You're welcome."

Beth ate, reading from the Sioux Falls Argus News that was laying on the table as she sipped her coffee. Then she ran back upstairs for clean clothes and went in to take a shower. When she came out of the bathroom, Sam and Dean were in the kitchen talking to Bobby, and putting away groceries. She greeted them on her way through, heading upstairs to put her things away. Dean stopped in mid-sentence as she walked by him, his eyes closing for a moment as he breathed deeply. He turned back to the task at hand, muttering, "Wow, she smells good," under his breath. Sam's mouth quirked into a smile, and Bobby frowned at Dean.

"Boy-that is not one of your one-nighters, do you understand me?" he said softly.

Dean looked back at him, his face serious. "Trust me, Bobby-I know. But she really smells good, right?" Bobby smiled a little in spite of himself, shaking his head and mumbling something about neutering, and Sam laughed as they finished with the groceries.

When Beth came downstairs, Bobby was at his desk talking on his cell phone and the boys were nowhere to be found. She walked into the kitchen, refilling her coffee mug, and spotted them outside. Dean was working under the hood of the Impala while Sam stood nearby, and was handing a tool to his brother as she walked closer.

"Problem?" she asked as Dean stood, handing the wrench back to Sam.

"No, just idling a little fast." He wiped his hands on a shop rag, then closed the hood. "Did you get some sleep last night?"

She nodded, sipping at her coffee. "I was pretty exhausted." She took a breath, looking at the brothers. "So-would one of you be able to do me a favor? I want to get a tattoo." Both sets of Winchester eyebrows shot up, and she laughed. "I want one like you guys have-I'm feeling a little paranoid about all this demon stuff."

Sam smiled as he answered. "When you deal with some of the things we've seen, paranoia isn't always a bad thing."

She grinned back at him. "Then I don't feel so bad. But I really do want to do this."

"Well, I promised Bobby to help with some research, but I'm sure Dean could take you."

Dean shot her a lazy smile as he nodded. "Yeah-just let me wash up. I can take you to the guy that did ours." Beth nodded as Dean tossed the shop rag on top of his tool box and walked towards the house as Sam approached Beth.

"How are you doing, Beth?" Sam asked, concern on his face.

"It's all very strange to me right now. Kind of overwhelming. You guys have a newbie on your hands, and you're gonna have to be patient with me."

"No problem. And if you have questions, just ask. We'll help in any way we can, but you're probably going to be hanging out with Bobby for quite a while. He could use a hand, anyway. We put a lot on him."

Dean came back out of the house, a clean t-shirt on and his keys in his hand. "Ready to go, Coop?" Beth grinned at the nickname and nodded, handing Sam her coffee cup.

"Good luck. Don't worry, Keith does a good job." Sam watched as the Impala turned to go out the drive, then headed back into the house to join Bobby, his smile fading. They had to find Walt and Roy-and if there was one thing hunters were good at doing, it was hiding.

* * *

Dean pulled the Impala into a parking spot in front of a rather shabby-looking shop with "Blue Moon" and "Tattoos and Piercing" emblazoned across the plate glass window. He ushered her through the door, his hand warm on the small of her back, the little brass bell ringing above their heads as they entered.

"Be right with you," a deep voice called out, soon followed by a very large, mean-looking bearded man, a ponytail hanging halfway down his back. But when he saw Dean, a wide smile transformed his face. "Dean!" He grabbed Dean's hand, and Beth smiled as they exchanged a bro hug, slapping each other's backs. "How the hell have you been? Haven't seen you for, what, a couple of years? How's Sam?"

"We're good. Keith, this is my friend Beth Cooper. She wants one of these," he said, pulling his shirt down to show his tattoo.

Keith turned to Beth, sticking out a huge hand, which she took, then looked up in smiling surprise as he raised it to his bearded face and kissed it. "Always glad to meet a pretty lady," he said, winking.

"Thank you, Keith-I'm always glad to meet a charming man," she answered. Keith tucked her hand around his forearm as he escorted her into the next room, Dean following with a wry smile on his face. Keith seated Beth in a chair and sat down across from her, grabbing a book of tattoo art from the table beside him.

"You want the same tat that Dean and Sam have, right?" Beth nodded, and he looked up from under his heavy brows at her. "Are you sure? I have a lot of designs..."

"No, that's the one I want. It can be a little smaller, and I want it in a different place, but I definitely want the same tattoo."

Keith nodded, finding the page he wanted and showing it to her. "Okay, here it is. Where do you want it?"

"Behind my left shoulder." Keith stood once again and came around behind her.

"May I?" he asked, touching her shoulder with a huge hand. She nodded, glancing a little nervously at Dean. The big man gently pulled her shirt down and she felt him run his hand lightly over the surface of her skin. "Okay-we'll have to lose this shirt-I have a robe you can put on so I can access the area a little easier. Are you okay with that?" She took a breath and nodded, and Keith sat down in front of her once more. "Look, little Beth-I'm the most gentle giant you'll ever meet, I promise. I'm good at what I do, but if you need to stop or change your mind, you just let me know-all right?" She nodded, her teeth worrying her lip for a moment before smiling a little shakily at him. He stood and left the room to get her a robe, and Dean put a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked softly, and she nodded, looking up at him. "Do you want me leave?" Her hand was up on his in a split second, and his heart faltered a little at the trust in her eyes as she clutched his fingers.

"Please stay." He swallowed hard, then gave her shoulder a little squeeze.

"Okay. I'll be right here." He winked, pulling a silver flask from his pocket. "You want a little liquid courage?"

Beth laughed a little, nodding, and took the flask, letting the warmth of the whiskey warm her and help calm her nerves. "Thanks."

* * *

Several hours later, Dean and Beth walked back into Bobby's house, and Sam looked up, smiling at their easy banter. "Well-how'd it go?"

Beth smiled back at him, taking a seat on the edge of the couch. "It was okay-I was nervous at first, but it wasn't bad. And Keith is great. Not what I expected when I first saw him."

Dean let out a short laugh. "I think Keith is in love with her, Sam."

"Whatever, Dean. He's just a very sweet man," Beth retorted.

"Sweet on you. 'You were so brave, Beth, the next time you want a tat, it's on the house,' Dean fired back in a mocking imitation of Keith's voice.

Sam laughed. "You're kidding!" Dean raised his hand, shaking his head.

"I swear. The dude kissed her hand when I introduced them, I kid you not." The boys were laughing, Bobby was grinning quietly, and Beth couldn't help but smile at their good-natured teasing, even as she rolled her eyes.

A couple of hours later Beth had changed into a loose-fitting shirt that buttoned down the front so she could take it off her shoulder easily. Keith had told her to clean the tattoo using a mild soap and water, and her fingers, and then to let it breathe. She shook her head at herself-maybe she should have put it on her chest, or arm, or ankle, because it was going to be damn near impossible for her to clean it herself. Great.

As she stood in front of the bathroom mirror trying to twist her head around to see, she heard Dean's voice. "Do you need some help?" He stood in the doorway, waiting for her answer.

She nodded, looking a little sheepish. "I didn't think this through, I guess-I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for, Coop. Now, you'll have to fix your shirt so it stays off your shoulder for the rest of the night, just tuck the sleeve down the front or something. It'll need some air to it for a few hours." She slipped her arm out of the sleeve and took Dean's suggestion, laughing at the way it looked as she turned to allow Dean access to the bandage. He removed it, and Beth tried to turn and look, but he stopped her. "Just wait until I have it cleaned up to look at it, can't see it very well until then anyway."

"Okay," she agreed, and he began the process of cleaning her new tattoo, his fingers gently washing the area. She found herself holding her breath, and put a hand on the sink to steady herself.

"Beth? Am I hurting you?" Dean asked, concern in his voice. She shook her head, feeling a little dizzy, and he guided her to the toilet, putting the lid down and helping her sit. "Better?" She blew out a breath and nodded.

"Yeah, thanks." She was pretty sure that the touch of Dean's hands on her was contributing to the way she felt, and was glad to be seated for the rest of the process. When he finally finished and patted the area dry, he sat on the edge of the tub and laid a hand on her knee.

"You okay? Sorry if I hurt you," he said, and she gave him a wan smile, shaking her head.

"You didn't hurt me at all, Dean." She grinned up at him. "Maybe you should have been a nurse," she teased. "You're pretty good at the whole sponge bath thing." His green eyes lit up impishly and a mischievous smirk curved his lips as Beth laughed at him. "So-can I see it now?" He nodded, and she stood, turning her back to the mirror and peering over her shoulder. The tattoo was about half the size of Sam and Dean's, but looked exactly like theirs, or would when the redness went away. Dean grabbed the small tube of antibiotic ointment and dabbed it over the area, and Beth smiled up at him. "Thanks, Dean. For the help, and going with me-and everything." She put a hand on his shoulder and stood on tiptoe to place a soft kiss on his cheek, not far from his mouth, and he fought the urge to take her in his arms right then and there.

"You're welcome," he said softly, and she left to show her new artwork to Sam and Bobby, leaving Dean to run a hand roughly through his tousled hair. "Son of a bitch," he muttered to himself as he went to the fridge for a beer, taking a couple swallows before heading outside.

* * *

"Where's your Moose? Shouldn't he be helping with the physical labor?"

Dean stopped and turned from his task, finishing a wax job on the Impala. "Crowley, what the hell are you doing here?" he growled, his teeth clenched.

"Well, that's gratitude for you. I'm just here out of the goodness of my heart, helpful as always."

"Since when do we need your help?"

Crowley shook his head, rolling his eyes. "How quickly they forget. How many times have I helped you in the past, you ungrateful insect?"

"Every time you 'help,'" Dean spit out sarcastically, "it bites us in the ass, Crowley."

"Well, yes, my interests are my main concern, I'll grant you that. But you need to find a certain pair of hunters, for my sake and for your quest for vengeance, am I right?"

Dean tossed the cloth he was holding to the ground. "You know where Walt and Roy are?"

Crowley raised his chin arrogantly and sighed. "Yes."

"Would you like to share the information, or did you just come here to piss me off?"

"That does make me very happy-but no. They're closer than you think, my Neanderthal friend. In fact, they are at this moment in Minot, North Dakota."

Dean turned and walked quickly towards the house. "Sammy!" he shouted as he opened the door and entered, leaving Crowley standing in the yard.

"No gratitude whatsoever," he muttered before vanishing.

* * *

Dean checked the clip before shoving it back into his ivory-handled Colt and putting it back into the inside pocket of his jacket. Sam did the same with the Taurus, and they both turned to leave, but Bobby's voice stopped them.

"Dean-Sam-remember what this is about. I know how you feel about those two, but your concern is getting that Colt Paterson back." Sam looked at the floor for a moment before nodding, and Bobby looked to Dean, who stood with his back half-turned to the older man. "Son, are you listening to me?" he said gruffly, and Dean slowly raised his gaze, his jaw set angrily.

"I hear you, Bobby." His eyes met Beth's for a moment; she looked scared and worried, but he couldn't think about that now.

"You guys be careful," she said quietly, and both brothers responded with a short nod before turning and leaving the house. Beth heard the Impala roar to life, listening as the sound grew fainter and finally disappeared. She turned to look into Bobby's concerned face, brows drawn together in a frown. "So, Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

Beth was looking down at the floor, almost afraid to ask. "Is it true-the guys Sam and Dean are after actually killed them? How is that possible?"

Bobby sighed, dropping down into the chair behind his desk and reaching for the whiskey bottle. "Bethany-when you've done this as long as I have, you learn that just about anything is possible. All I know is, the boys were shot and killed, and went to heaven. They were brought back. There was a specific purpose at the time, but basically they have work to do on this earth and the powers that be weren't ready for them to be done. At least, not at that time."

"Aren't you worried about them meeting up with people that want them dead?"

"The only thing I'm worried about right now is that they get that Colt back. Hopefully that will get Crowley off their backs."

Beth perched on a chair nearby, her hands clasped together nervously. "How do you do this, Bobby?"

Bobby snorted softly, a wry smirk on his face. "Practice, Bethany. Lots of practice. And some Hunter's Helper." He tipped the bottle and handed her the glass, then pouring one for himself.


	5. Chapter 5

"I told you I had that shot! You never listen, Roy!" Walt threw his jacket in the general direction of the chair, running a hand through his greasy hair.

"I had a better angle," argued Roy, opening the mini-fridge and grabbing a cold can of beer. "You always think you're in charge of everything. If you would have kept your mouth shut, I would have taken him down. Now we have to wait another month for the next cycle. I hate this friggin' town!"

The door to the rattletrap motel room slammed hard enough to shake the windows, and both men looked up, surprise on their faces. "Sammy-look who we have here." Dean's lip was curled in contempt, and his green eyes blazed with barely-contained fury. Walt backed up, sitting unceremoniously on the bed as he collided with the mattress.

"Roy, get the salt!" he yelled in a panic as Sam shoved Roy down into a nearby chair.

"Sorry, Walt-that's not gonna work." Dean walked closer to where the scraggly-looking hunter sat cowering on the edge of the bed. "See, we're not ghosts. We were brought back from the dead, and that should tell you just what level of trouble you stepped in. And if you weren't flying under the radar because you're so afraid of another hunter ganking your ass, you might have known that." He bent over to look into Walt's face-the man was quaking with fear, and a trickle of sweat ran down the side of his face. "I told you when I came back I was gonna be pissed," Dean growled, and an actual whimper escaped Walt's mouth.

"First things first," Sam said, towering over the equally terrified Roy. "Where's the stuff you stole from our room after you shot us in cold blood?"

"What stuff?" whined Roy.

"Shut up, Roy," growled Walt, then clamped his mouth shut as Dean grabbed him by the collar.

"So, you're the one. Where is it, you worthless sack of crap?"

"I pawned most of it right after we...I mean, right after you died."

Dean pulled Walt up from the bed, still clutching the shaking man's collar. "You pawned the Colt?!"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I? I needed the money, what's one more gun, more or less?" Walt was whining now, and Dean flung him back onto the bed, disgust on his face.

"You two are too stupid to live. How you have not been killed by some lower life form is beyond me." Dean paced a little, then turned to face Walt again. "Where's the pawn shop?"

"Kearney. Kearney, Nebraska."

Dean pulled his gun, training it on Walt, who started begging immediately. "Please, don't kill me, Dean. Don't kill me..." The man was crying now, and Roy was joining in. Dean hesitated for a long moment, then shook his head angrily, contempt on his face, and put his gun away.

"Sam, grab all their hunting gear. As of right now, boys-you are retired. You don't deserve to be called hunters. If I ever see you working a job again-I'll help the monsters out and kill you myself. Go find yourself a job pumping gas or bagging groceries, but no more hunting. Are we clear on that?"

"I've been a hunter my whole life," Walt protested weakly, and Dean turned his feral glare back on him once again.

"So you'd rather take Door #2?" he asked, reaching for his gun. Walt held his hands up, shaking his head.

Dean grabbed the bag Sam handed to him, and the Winchesters left the room, not bothering to close the door. Walt was almost crying again with relief as he fell back onto the bed.

"I can't believe they didn't kill us," Roy said, still glued to his chair.

"Me either."

"So where do you wanna go now?"

Walt sighed, still shaking. "Back to Mexico."

* * *

Beth finished washing dishes and dried her hands, hanging the towel from the handle on the oven. Bobby was in the living room, digging through dusty books and reading, as usual, and he seemed so calm and unconcerned. She took a deep breath and walked in to join him, taking a seat on the couch and propping her feet up on the coffee table. She watched him in silence for a moment, before Bobby looked up and gave her a crooked smile.

"Yes, Bethany-what is it?"

"Don't they ever call? Just to check in and let you know they're okay?"

"They've only been gone for a day, Bethany. They're fine."

"How do you know?"

Bobby sighed. "Because if one of them was hurt or dead, the other one would call me. And if they were both dead-well, I'd just know, and besides, there wouldn't be much I could do about it anyway." The worried look remained on her face, and he continued. "Look, those boys are the best hunters I've ever met. They can take care of themselves. And if I crippled myself with crying over 'em every time they were out of my sight, I wouldn't be much use to them. Or myself."

"I know," Beth answered quietly. "So, what can..." she started to say when she heard the rumble of the Impala's engine outside. She was off the couch like a shot, heading for the door.

She jumped off the front step and ran towards the car, a broad smile on her face. Sam was out of the car first, and she hugged him happily. "I'm so glad you guys are okay!"

Sam patted her back a little awkwardly, smiling. "Thanks, Beth." As she grabbed Dean next, he looked over her at his brother, one eyebrow raised in surprise.

"Dean! I was so worried about you!"

He looked down at her as she gazed up at him, and couldn't keep the crooked smile from his face. "We're fine, Beth. Gotta say, this beats the welcome we usually get from Bobby." She backed away, blushing a little.

"I just-he's more used to this, I...I thought you'd call or something, let us know you were okay, or...I don't know." Dean was grinning now, and she frowned at him, landing a blow to his shoulder as she turned and marched back towards the house.

"Ow-what's that for?" he shouted after her as the door slammed. Sam rolled his eyes and headed for the house, shaking his head, one of Walt and Roy's duffle bags over his shoulder. Dean grabbed the other one from the back seat and followed behind.

Beth was nowhere to be found, but the boys walked in to greet Bobby, dropping the confiscated bags on the floor. "Well, are they still breathing or not?" Bobby asked gruffly.

Dean headed for the fridge, grabbing a couple of cold longnecks and handing one to Sam on his way to the couch. He flung his feet up on the table and flipped the lid off the bottle with his ring, taking a drink before answering.

"They're still breathing." He met Bobby's gaze. "I told them they're done hunting. And if I ever see them working a job again, I will end them. But for now, they're still walking around."

"And the Colt?"

Sam let out a scornful snort. "Walt pawned it."

Bobby looked at him in disbelief. "What?!"

"Yeah." Dean was shaking his head. "It's hopefully still in a pawnshop in Kearney. We need to head there next. Hoping to find some information in these bags, but otherwise I'd guess there aren't too many of them to check. I hope."

"Those two are dumber than I gave them credit for. Why on God's green earth would they pawn the Colt? Any hunter worth his salt knows about Samuel Colt's gun." Bobby pinned Dean with a glare. "And by the way, what did you do to that girl? She flew in here and up the stairs-how can you piss somebody off that fast, boy? I swear, it must be a natural gift."

Dean's shoulders raised in a shrug. "I didn't...I don't know what..." He looked at Sam for help, but he was just shaking his head.

"Just go talk to her, Dean," he said, and Dean sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Don't know why I have to go talk to her, I didn't even do anything, just pull in and get out of the car, and I get hit..." he was mumbling to himself all the way up the stairs, and Sam smiled at Bobby, shaking his head.

Dean leaned in Beth's doorway, waiting for her to look up from her laptop. She resisted as long as she could, then looked up to meet his eyes.

"What?" she asked shortly, looking back down at the computer.

"You mad at me?"

"Yes."

"What did I do?" She looked up at him, noting the genuine confusion on his face.

"You're an arrogant asshat, that's what you did. I was seriously worried about you guys, and you just think it's funny. Apparently it's a big joke to you. I guess I won't make that mistake again." She refused to meet his eyes again, staring blindly at the screen to avoid looking at him.  
Dean sighed quietly, then walked over and pulled a chair up next to the bed, straddling it with his arms resting across the back. He rested his chin on his arms and sat quietly looking at Beth until she couldn't resist looking back at him.

"What?!" she asked angrily.

"I wasn't trying to make fun of you, Coop. Just not used to someone-I don't know-worrying about me. Or being that happy to see me." As Beth watched, she saw that flash of vulnerability in his green eyes again, and her heart softened. "Didn't mean to make you feel bad, Beth."  
She shook her head slowly. "It's okay-I guess I have a really short fuse. Especially lately. Sorry." A faint smile crossed Dean's face as he rose, then came closer to the bed.

"Let's have a look at that tat," he requested, and she turned a little, pulling her shirt off her shoulder. She fought a shiver as his fingers brushed her lightly. "Looks good." She put her shirt back in place and looked up at him, the silence heavy between them. He finally took a breath and spoke. "Are we good?"

She flashed him an uncertain smile and nodded. "Yeah-we're good." He nodded in reply, and turned to go.

"You coming?"

"In a minute," she answered softly, and he left the room, his booted footsteps thumping down the wooden stairs.

When Beth entered the living room, there were weapons and junk spread all over the room. "Nothing?" Bobby was asking, and the boys were both shaking their heads.

"I guess we get to hit every pawn shop in Kearney-seriously, how many could there be?" Dean asked as Sam shrugged.

"I can do a search, we can at least get you a list of names," Beth offered, sitting down on the couch and opening her laptop. They perched on either side of her, watching as the search results came up, and Dean grinned.

"Okay-one pawn shop. Awesome."

"That's assuming he told us the truth," Sam offered, and Dean looked at him incredulously. "Yeah, you're right-he was ready to wet himself, I doubt if he was lying."

"That's not saying it'll still be there, though. But at least we've got a place to start." Dean stood, stretching, and Sam joined him. "Bobby-I hate to leave this mess, but we really should get going."

"Go," Beth said, looking up at them. "We'll find a place for this stuff, just go get that gun back."

Dean looked at Bobby, who was fighting a smile, and at Sam, who was grinning. "Yes, Ma'am," he said, "we will get right on that."

Beth tried to hide her smile as she rose to walk them to the door. She put a hand on each of their arms as they opened the door, and they turned to look down at her. "Would you please-please-just call at night to let us know you're all right? I know Bobby's used to it, but I'm not, so humor me-okay?"

Sam nodded, smiling, and gave her a quick one-armed hug. "We can do that. See you in a couple of days." He went out the door, leaving Dean standing there. Beth looked up at him for a moment, then put her arms around his neck and gave him a fast hug, stepping back away from him when she was done.

"Take care, Dean."

He nodded, his eyes lingering on her face for a moment before he turned to go, his duffle bag over his shoulder. Beth watched as the brothers threw their gear in the car and the Impala roared down the driveway. Then she closed the door and went back to help Bobby sort through the mess inside.


	6. Chapter 6

Dean dropped his bag, then threw himself on the bed, staring at the ceiling and sighing with annoyance. "That's great. Just great. Now what?"

Sam closed the door as he dropped his bag to the floor, and sat on the edge of his bed, feeling just as deflated as his brother. "I don't know, Dean. If it's there, the owner isn't telling us. I guess we should have gone in as cops. If he sold a gun, he has to have records, right?"

"Supposed to, yeah." Dean climbed off the other side of the bed and went to the mini-fridge for a beer, holding it up in a silent question to Sam, who nodded. He tossed one to him, then opened his and dropped onto a chair, taking a long draw from the bottle. "You know what we have to do, right?"

Sam sighed resignedly. "Break in." They finished their beers and settled in to wait impatiently for the shop to close.

They were halfway to the pawnshop, a little after 11 p.m., when Dean cursed under his breath. "Damn it!"

"What? If you don't have your lock pick, I have mine."

"No, not that. We didn't call Beth." Sam let out a short little laugh, and Dean glared at him. "We promised her we would, Sammy. So call her."

"Why me?"

"I'm driving." Sam shot him a look. "Shut up, just do it."

Sam shook his head and dialed Beth's number. "Hey, Beth. Just checking in. We're okay. No, not yet. Yeah, we'll let you know when we're headed home. Right. G'night." He ended the call and looked grumpily at Dean. "Happy? Now you won't get in trouble when we get back to Bobby's, okay?"

"Bite me, Sam."

Once they reached the shop and disabled the alarms and cameras, Sam picked the lock and they entered the shop, flashlights on. They headed behind the counter first, digging through drawers and a couple of boxes, looking for sales records for the Colt, but with no luck. The office was next, and they ransacked the desk and other furniture, still coming up empty-handed. Dean turned, frustrated, his light flashing over some of the items displayed on the wall, and Sam called out, startled. "Dean-that shelf behind you."

There sat the Colt Paterson, in its case with the bullets. "Well, at least the pawnshop owner knows something valuable when he sees it," Dean muttered, relieved. He grabbed their prize, and they left the shop, pulling the door shut after them.

They entered their motel room, the case containing the Colt in hand, and Sam broke the silence first. "Dean-we can't give this to Crowley. You know that, right?"

Dean grabbed a beer from the fridge, nodding his agreement. "I know. But what I want to know is, why does he want it? Because he knows we can kill him with it?"

"I don't know."

"We can't take this to Bobby's, Sam. I think we need to stash it somewhere safe."

"Where?"

"I have no idea." Dean pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing as he stood, pacing slowly across the room. "Bobby? We got it. Yeah. But Sam and I, we agree that we can't give the Colt to Crowley. We need a safe place for it." He nodded, listening. "Okay, Bobby-we're heading that way right now. I want this thing safe, before Crowley finds out we have it. Yeah, we'll call when it's taken care of." He ended the call, looking at his brother. "Well, what do you want to do first-sleep or drive? Bobby said there's a demon-proofed trunk in the safe room at Rufus' cabin in Montana. I think we should hit the road now."

"I agree-the faster we have the Colt safe from Crowley, the better. I'll drive first, if you want." They grabbed all their gear and loaded it into the Impala, then headed for Whitefish.

* * *

It was three days later when they pulled into the yard at Bobby's, exhausted but relieved that the Colt was finally safe. Beth was in town picking up a few things, but Bobby was in his usual spot behind the desk. "Mission accomplished," Dean spouted as they walked in.

"Good. I still haven't found anything to tell us why Crowley wants it."

"Is somebody trying to take over hell? Is he trying to gank the competition?" Dean was only half joking as he spoke.

Sam was more subdued. "That thing was the key to the hellgate in Wyoming, remember? Could it be used on another one?"

Bobby sighed, frustrated. "I don't know, boys. I wish I did, the whole thing makes me uneasy as hell." They heard Beth's car pull in and a door slam shut. She didn't come bursting in the door as they expected, and Dean looked Sam's direction, one eyebrow raised. Sam shrugged silently. "Did either of you idjits think that maybe she needs some help?" Bobby asked sarcastically.

After an exchanged sheepish look, the boys headed for the door. Bobby heard the kitchen door shut, then Dean's shout. "Crowley, you son of a bitch! Let her go!" Bobby rose to his feet, grabbing his sawed-off, and headed for the door.

"I made my expectations perfectly clear to you morons. All I asked for was the Colt. Now, where is it?" Crowley stood with Beth in front of him, his hand to her throat.

"Why do you want it?" Sam demanded. "To open another hellgate? That's not gonna happen!"

"Why I want it is not your concern. Your concern is getting me the bloody Colt before I start killing your friends!" Crowley shouted, his face flushed and angry.

"Maybe we'll just kill you with it," Dean ground out between clenched teeth. Beth was looking at him with terror in her eyes, and he closed his eyes for a split second, guilt and frustration washing over him.

"Where is it, you eternal pain in my ass?"

Dean glared back at him. "We don't have it."

Crowley ground his teeth in rage. "Very well." His voice was calm and menacing, and he yanked Beth closer, bending to whisper in her ear. Her eyes widened as she gasped, and Dean took a couple of steps towards her before Crowley growled at him, warning him back. Beth's head was beginning to sag forward, and a tear rolled down her cheek as she gazed at Dean, silent pleading in her eyes before they rolled back in her head and she dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"Beth!" Sam and Dean shouted it at the same time, and Bobby came rushing out the door, his shotgun in his hand.

"You evil son of a bitch, what did you do to her?" Bobby yelled, firing the shotgun into Crowley's chest. The demon was thrown back a couple of steps, then looked at him calmly.

"Really, Bobby?" He brushed at the front of his suit. "And I just had this tailored." He looked back up at the men glowering at him. "She's got some kind of fatal disease-not sure which one. Learned a couple things from Pestilence. It doesn't really matter. If you fetch me the Colt like the good obedient pets that you are-she'll live. If not-she will die. Your choice, really. Now-does it really matter why I want it? Or are you going to do as you're told?"

Dean was shaking with rage, and Bobby grabbed at his shoulder while Sam took hold of his other arm, holding him back. "I'm gonna kill you, Crowley." His voice was like ice, his lip curled in a savage sneer.

"No. You're going to fetch the Colt like the pathetic human that you are, to save your friend. Which is why you are all so weak."

"We'll see who's weak when we gank your sorry ass."

Crowley laughed. "You boys are so cute when you're angry. So full of bravado. Well, let me know when you have the Colt. Sweetie here has a week, maybe ten days at the most. So I wouldn't dally now. Be talking to you soon." He gave a sarcastic little wave and disappeared.

Dean jerked away from Bobby and Sam, running to where Beth had collapsed. He dropped to his knees, pulling her into his arms. "Damn it, Coop! Wake up, talk to me, Beth. Please, Beth..." He looked up as Sam took a knee beside him. "Sammy..."

Bobby spoke quietly. "Dean, Sam-get her in the house."

Dean carried her limp body into the living room and laid her on the couch, sitting on the coffee table and holding on to her hand, pure anguish on his face. Sam and Bobby exchanged a look, and Bobby nodded.

"Son," he said, laying a hand on his shoulder, "Sam and I are going after the Colt. You need to make sure she gets some water down, as much as you can get her to swallow-it won't be easy unless she wakes up a little. If she runs a high fever, sponge her down to cool her off."

"No, Bobby, I'll go..." Dean started, but Bobby cut him off angrily.

"Damn it, boy, I can handle a milk run. You take care of Bethany, you hear me? You take care of her until we get back." Dean finally nodded reluctantly. Sam sat next to him on the coffee table, reaching for Beth's other hand, angry tears in his eyes.

"Beth, we'll be back as fast as we can, and I promise you we're going to fix this. You're gonna be all right." He squeezed her hand and looked at his brother, who couldn't even meet his eyes. "Dean-we are going to fix it." He stared at Dean until he got another nod of acknowledgement, then rose, turning to Bobby. "Let's go, Bobby."

The Impala roared to life outside, and Dean hung his head, his eyes never leaving Beth's pale face. "I'm sorry," he whispered, holding her hand in his and clenching his teeth to fight his pain. It was almost an hour later when he moved, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her into Bobby's bedroom, tucking the blankets around her and staring down at her helplessly.

* * *

Dean woke slowly, groggy and disoriented. He raised his head from the side of the bed, his back and arms stiff from their awkward position.

"Beth?" he said softly, realizing that the touch of her hand on his hair had been what wakened him.

"Dean-what..."

"Shhh. Don't talk, Coop. Here, Bobby said you need to drink water." He rose from the chair that he had been sitting on at her bedside, and grabbed the large mug of water with a straw that he had prepared, hoping she would wake up at some point and be able to drink. He sat on the edge of the bed and put a hand behind her neck, helping her sit up enough to take some of the water. She coughed as she tried to swallow, but Dean kept urging her until she had drunk a good quantity and was worn out from the effort. He lowered her back down, setting the mug on the bedside table and laying his hand gently on her forehead. "Can you swallow some pills, Beth? You're running a fever." She nodded weakly, and he grabbed a bottle of aspirin from Bobby's dresser.

It was an ordeal getting the tablets down, but they finally accomplished it and Beth collapsed back onto the pillow. "Dean-I'm cold," she whispered, shivering as she looked at him with fever-glazed eyes. He clenched his teeth, vowing again inside his head to kill Crowley as he grabbed the extra blanket from the closet and covered Beth. Then he laid down on the bed beside her, sliding his arm beneath her head, and pulled her into his arms, trying to share some of his warmth with her. Hopefully the aspirin would hold the fever off for a while. He had never felt so helpless in his life. Monsters he could fight-this was a kind of evil he couldn't defeat, and he was praying for Bobby and Sam to hurry. He held Beth's quaking body close and finally drifted off to sleep with her, his exhaustion taking over.

* * *

The next morning Dean woke to the sound of Beth coughing as she entered the bedroom. She barely made it to the side of the bed, dropping down slowly to her knees. Dean jumped up and rushed to help her get back up, helping her onto the bed and under the blankets. She was incredibly weak, and Dean sat down next to her, his hand to her forehead. Her fever was flaring up again.

"Beth, what are you doing? If you need to get up, you wake me up-you're too weak to be moving around on your own." She laid there, her eyes still closed, but she nodded, barely. "You need to try to drink, and take some more aspirin, Beth-you're burning up." He helped her sit up and drink, as he had the day before, and helped her lay back. Her 'thank you' was barely audible, and he tucked the blankets more securely around her, taking the water jug to the kitchen for a refill. He heard her coughing again, and rushed back into the bedroom, but she was barely conscious. He set the water down at the bedside, staring down at her pale face for a moment, then setting his jaw and stalking out into the kitchen.

"Castiel! I know you don't really come when we call any more, but just this once. I need your help, Cas. My friend is dying, and I need your help." He closed his eyes, his voice cracking a little as he added, "Please, Cas."

"What is it, Dean?" Cas spoke softly behind him, and he whirled to face him.

"Cas, you have to help her. Crowley-he gave her some fatal disease, we don't even know what it is, but you can heal her."

Cas looked back at him impassively for a moment, then walked towards the bedroom where Beth lay, her breathing labored. He laid a hand to her forehead, then looked into Dean's concerned face. "I can't help her, Dean. There's nothing I can do."

Dean glared at the angel, turning to storm out of the room to the kitchen. Cas followed behind quietly, moving to gaze silently out of the window. "You can't, Cas, or you won't?" Dean grabbed the sleeve of Castiel's coat and pulled him around to face him. "Why can't you help her?"

"This conflict is between you and Crowley. You have to make the right choice, without any interference from me or anyone else, Dean. I'm not allowed to involve myself."

"What choice? There's no choice, we either have to give Crowley the gun or Beth dies."

"I know. And you alone have to make that choice."

"What does he want the Colt for, Cas? Can you at least tell me that, or is that too 'involved' for you?"

Castiel stood silently for a moment before answering. "He's trying to gather items for a spell that will allow him, with artifacts from heaven, hell and here on earth, to become immortal. He will become like a god."

Dean stared angrily into Castiel's face for a long moment. "Does he have the other artifacts?"

Cas shook his head slowly. "I don't know."

Dean clenched his jaw, fighting for words, then silently turned and headed out the door. He went out into the yard, walking until Cas appeared right in front of him. "When is it enough, Cas? How many tests do we have to pass before you all leave us the hell alone? Just leave. I'll be damned if I ever call on you for help again. Just go back to heaven and enjoy the show, your little lab rats here on earth running through your maze." Castiel was gone before Dean had time to look up, and he grabbed a crowbar laying nearby and sailed it out into the lot, hearing the crash as it landed, striking metal and shattering glass. He closed his eyes for a moment and forced his anger back down inside, walking back to the house, dialing Bobby's number.

* * *

Distant rolling thunder woke Dean the next morning. He turned to his side and reached a hand to touch Beth's face. He closed his eyes for a moment, fighting the panic that tried to boil to the surface, then rolled out of bed to go after fresh water.

After the battle to get Beth awake enough to take water, and choke down aspirin, Dean took a cool cloth and wiped her face and neck gently. She whimpered quietly once, as if it caused her pain, and he struggled against the hopelessness that welled up within him. He had been up a good portion of the night, digging through books that Bobby had suggested, trying to find anything about the spell that Cas had told him about. He had found nothing, but he knew that they couldn't allow Crowley to become invincible.

He laid the cloth aside, looking down at Beth's unconscious face, and went back to the pile of books on the table beside the window. After another gentle rumble of thunder, a few drops of rain pelted the window, and he stared out into the yard, watching the mild storm move through. After a few minutes, he forced his gaze back to the book in front of him, reaching up to roughly rub the back of his neck, desperately looking for anything that might give him answers.

Several hours later, hours that felt like days to Dean, he heard the Impala's engine as Bobby and Sam pulled into the yard. He put down the cloth he had been using to bathe Beth's face and neck, walking to the kitchen as they entered the house, closing the door against the wind and rain. "I can't find anything, Bobby. I don't know what else to do. I can't.." Bobby put a hand on Dean's shoulder, his eyes troubled.

"I know, son. You go get some sleep, we'll watch over Beth for a while."

Dean shook his head, looking first at Bobby, then over to Sam. "No. It's my fault she's even in this mess. I'm not leaving it to someone else so I can sleep."

Sam was shaking his head at his brother. "Dean, how do you figure it's your fault?"

"If I had left her alone in the first place, she would never have left her mother. I caused the fight that made her leave home. She should still be waiting tables in that dump, maybe not the ideal life, but at least she was safe."

"Wow." Sam stared angrily at his brother, then turned his back as he grabbed a beer from the fridge. "You've got a real God complex going there, Dean. What else are you responsible for? What were you up to when the hurricane struck New York? Maybe you caused those earthquakes in Japan a few years ago, too." A flash of lightening lit up the room for a second with bright white light, followed by a loud clap of thunder. "You probably just did that, too-right, Dean?"

"Screw you, Sammy." Dean glared back at Sam, and Bobby stepped between them.

"Stop it, you two. Dean, Sam is just trying to tell you that this is not your fault. You could drive yourself crazy thinking like that. We all know there are consequences to our actions, but if we could tell every little thing that's gonna happen, well-we'd never get out of bed. Now stop blaming yourself and let's figure out what we're gonna to do about this."

"That's the problem, Bobby. I know what we have to do about this." Dean looked at the older man, anguish in his eyes. "We have to kill Crowley with the Colt. And that means we're killing Beth." With that, he turned and left the room, going back to Beth's bedside. Sam met Bobby's gaze for a moment, then hung his head, fighting the despairing anger welling up inside him. Bobby quietly walked into the living room, placing the Colt into the safe, and dropped down into the chair behind his desk, staring into space.

In the bedroom, Dean sat silently on the edge of the mattress, gently applying the cool cloth to Beth's forehead. Her eyes opened slowly, and the shadow of a smile crossed her face. "Hey, Coop. How are you doing?" he asked softly.

"I heard you out there, Dean. I know what you have to do." He began to shake his head, but she spoke again, her voice weak. "Dean-look at me." He looked into her tear-filled eyes, pain searing his heart at the trust he read there. "It's okay, you kill that SOB for me. You hear me?" She touched his face, and a tear escaped his eye, rolling down to meet her hand. She dropped her arm back to the mattress, and began coughing, ending her ability to speak. Dean helped her sit up slightly and held the straw to her lips as she fought to swallow. When she was finished, he set the mug down and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight as she rested against him. Sam stood silently in the doorway, tears in his eyes, slowly turning to leave and join Bobby in the living room.

* * *

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Dean asked through clenched teeth. Beth was unconscious again, and he wanted Crowley dead so he could look into her eyes and tell her it was done, before it was too late. It was the least they could do.

The three men discussed their slim menu of options, deciding on their plan of action. Sam turned a steady gaze on Dean. "Who's gonna do it, Dean? You or me?"

"I'll do it." The finality in Dean's voice stopped Sam from even attempting an argument; he looked into his brother's determined eyes and nodded in agreement.

About half an hour later, Dean stood in the doorway to Bobby's room, watching as the older man applied the cool, damp cloth to Beth's face and neck. He glanced up at Dean and shook his head sadly. "Be careful, son," he said quietly.

"See you soon, Bobby," Dean answered, then turned to join his brother outside.

* * *

The rain had stopped for the moment, but thunder still rumbled ominously in the distance. Sam stood in the middle of the body shop, the spell to summon Crowley waiting only for a match. The Impala was parked close by, and Dean waited near it as Sam dropped the lit match into the bowl. There was a flash of light, followed by dark smoke, and then they heard Crowley's voice.

"Well, it took you long enough."

Dean's face was filled with hate as he answered. "Eat me, Crowley."

Crowley's eyebrow raised as he looked back at his enemy with disdain. "Nice manners for someone who is wanting a favor."

"No favor, Crowley-you made a deal. Beth's life for the Colt," Sam said angrily.

"Tomato, tomahto. So where is the Colt?"

"First you cure Beth. Then you get the Colt," Dean snarled.

"Wrong, moron. First you give me the gun, then I'll fix your little girlfriend."

Sam walked towards Dean, glaring at Crowley as he passed by him. Dean reached into the trunk of the Impala, pulling out the Colt's case and meeting Sam's gaze for a second as he handed it to his brother. Sam carried it towards Crowley, stopping a few feet in front of him. "Now, cure Beth," Sam demanded.

The demon looked up at him incredulously. "Do I look like an idiot? Open the case!" Sam shook his head, setting the case on the ground.

"Open it yourself, dick." Sam stepped away, and Crowley sighed with disgust, stepping forward and bending to retrieve the wooden box. When he stood, he looked down the barrel of the Colt, Dean Winchester's vengeful face behind it. He rolled his eyes, looking up at the ceiling of the shop where a devil's trap was painted in red.

"She'll die, you stupid twit. You kill me, you're killing her." Crowley's voice was quaking with anger as he stared at his nemesis.

"She's going to a better place. You-I bet there are a lot of things down there that would like a piece of you. Enjoy eternity." Dean fired the gun, watching with immense satisfaction as the bullet entered his forehead and began to light the demon up from the inside. His body hit the ground and convulsed for several long seconds, then lay still. An eerie silence enveloped the brothers as they stood staring at the body.

"Sammy-salt and burn that son of a bitch, just to be safe," Dean said quietly, bending to grab the case for the Colt and heading for the house as Sam carried out his brother's request.

Dean placed the Colt into the case and walked into the living room, putting it in Bobby's safe and closing the door. He clenched his hands into fists to still the shaking, took a deep breath and walked into the bedroom, his eyes on the floor.

He stepped into the room, raising his gaze to see Bobby sitting next to the bed, a smile on his face, holding Beth's hand as she sat talking to him quietly. His eyes widened in disbelief, and Bobby stood, blinking hard for a moment. "Dean-she's all right. Castiel-he was here. She's healed." Then he moved aside, letting Dean through to sit on the edge of the bed, still bewildered with the turn of events. He couldn't speak, staring at Beth as she smiled up at him, tears sparkling in her brown eyes.

"I'm okay, Dean-it's true. Castiel healed me. I'm going to be fine." Dean's face showed the strain of his emotions, and he pulled her into his arms, still speechless. Beth put her arms around him and held him as well, letting a few tears slide down her cheeks and onto his shirt as she clung to him.

Sam rushed into the room, stopping dead in his tracks as he saw his brother holding Beth. Tears stung his eyes as he looked at Bobby, who smiled at him. "She's okay, Sam." Bobby put a hand on Sam's shoulder. Sam took a deep calming breath before approaching the bed.

"Beth? You're okay?" he asked softly, and she pulled back from Dean's arms to smile up into Sam's eyes, nodding. He sat down next to Dean and grabbed her into a hug, a disbelieving laugh escaping as he let her go. "Thank God," he whispered, clapping a hand on his brother's shoulder as Beth sought refuge in Dean's arms again. Sam sat there with them for a moment longer, then rose from the bed and left the room with Bobby, turning to look one more time at Beth and Dean clinging to each other as if life depended on it.


	7. Chapter 7

"Has your brother always been such an egotistical jerk?" Beth shot the question angrily towards Sam as she slammed two bags of groceries down on the table. She started unloading them, slamming cupboards as she went. Dean joined them in the room a few seconds later, an angry glower on his face as he put the other bags down and walked into the living room without uttering a word. Sam blew out a breath, then followed Dean, shaking his head.

"What the hell did you do now?" he asked quietly.

"I didn't do anything. I don't know what her problem is." The sound of shattering glass reached their ears, and a loud curse.

"Are you okay, Beth?" Sam asked loudly, and waited for an answer.

"I'm fine." She peered into the room. "We're out of mayo again." After a glare in Dean's direction, she turned back to the kitchen, continuing to slam things around.

"Keep it up, we'll be out of everything again!" Dean shouted, which was answered by a colorful suggestion from Beth.

"Dean!" Sam grabbed him by the arm, turning his brother to face him. "What is wrong with you?"

"She makes me crazy." Dean grabbed his car keys, which he had tossed onto the desk, and headed towards the door. "I'm going to work on the Impala." He walked through the kitchen, oblivious to the daggers Beth's eyes had buried in his back, and joined in the door-slamming as he went out.

Sam sighed loudly, and went back to the kitchen, helping Beth with the rest of the groceries. When they had finished, he took her by the shoulders and sat her down on a chair, then took a seat across from her. "Beth-what happened? Talk to me."

Her anger was fading a little now, and when she met Sam's eyes, hers were sparkling with tears. "Sam-what have I done wrong? He acts like I'm not even here most of the time, he'll barely talk to me, and today..." She hung her head and closed her eyes for a second, gritting her teeth. "I walked around a corner, and he's standing there making out with this...blond. And acting like it shouldn't be any big deal." She angrily brushed away a tear, looking with hurt-filled eyes at Sam. "I feel like an idiot. I guess I thought there was something there, and obviously I was very wrong."

"I'm sorry, Beth." Sam put a hand over hers, giving it a comforting squeeze.

She looked into Sam's sympathetic eyes, tears again filling hers. "Me too, Sam. Put two cute guys in front of me, and I'll fall for the asshole every time. You'd think once I would go for the sweet one." She stood, bending to kiss his cheek before heading upstairs to her room. Sam shook his head, annoyance at his brother growing. It had only been a couple of weeks since they had finally managed to kill Crowley, and already Dean was following his usual MO. Sam rose from his chair and headed outside.

Dean had his head under the hood of the Impala, music blasting from the garage. Sam stood nearby, watching, waiting for his moment.

"Hand me that socket wrench, would you, Sammy?" Dean asked, not even looking up. Sam slapped it into his waiting hand and stood, waiting for his brother to stand and look back at him. After a few minutes, he finally turned to face Sam.

"What are you doing, Dean?" he asked quietly.

"I'm working on the car," Dean answered petulantly, and Sam leveled a hard look at him.

"You know what I mean."

Dean rolled his eyes, turning his back as he wiped his hands on a shop rag. "Do we really have to do this, Sammy? I'm not in the mood for sharing and caring."

"Obviously. Since when do you care about how other people feel?" His brother was still wiping his hands-anything to keep from looking Sam in the eye. "Dean-you're hurting her. I know you care about her. Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" He finally turned angrily to face Sam.

"What you always do when someone gets close to you. You're trying to sabotage it. Trying to hurt them before they can hurt you. You do it all the time, Dean."

"Is the psychoanalysis done, Dr.? I have work to do." Dean turned back to the car, and Sam shook his head.

"This time I think you could really have something, Dean. And you're going to screw it up to the point that it's beyond fixing if you're not careful. I'm just sayin'." With those words, Sam turned and walked back to the house, leaving Dean bent over under the hood of the Impala. Once he heard the door to the house close, he turned to face out into the yard, leaning back onto the car, his lips pressed tightly together. He shook his head, tossed the shop rag over onto his toolbox, and closed the hood, grabbing the keys out of his pocket.

Sam looked out the window as he heard the Impala rumble to life outside. A spray of dust followed as Dean tore out of the driveway, and Sam shook his head, his jaw set with frustration.

* * *

Beth put supper on the table that night, setting out three plates for the guys, then grabbing a jacket and her car keys off the hook by the door. "You're leaving?" Sam asked, concern in his eyes.

"Yeah. I'm going out for supper with Jody. You guys are on your own tonight." She met Sam's gaze and sent a smile his way, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"See you later," he answered softly, and she nodded in reply before turning and heading out the door. Bobby entered the kitchen a moment later, catching sight of Beth's car as she left the yard.

"Where's she going?" he asked as he sat down at the table. "She cooked and then she's not even eating?"

"Guess she wanted a jerk-free evening," Sam said pointedly, looking at Dean as he pulled up a chair. His brother glared back, but didn't answer.

"Dean," Bobby started, but didn't get to utter another word.

"Will you two please just leave it alone! You'd think I live with friggin' Oprah and Dr. Phil!" Dean pushed his chair back again and stormed from the kitchen, heading for the whiskey bottle in the other room.

Bobby looked, eyebrows raised, at Sam. "What the hell is going on, boy?"

Sam shook his head. "Dean's doing his usual, whatever it takes to keep from getting too close to someone." He met Bobby's eyes, worry furrowing his brow. "She really cares about him, Bobby. And he's doing everything he can to push her away."

"Yeah, well-if that idjit ruins things with Bethany, I guess he doesn't deserve to be happy." Bobby was shaking his head, a disgusted look on his face. "Where did she go tonight, anyway?"

"She's having supper and, I assume, a few drinks with Jody."

"Good. Maybe she can cheer her up. And she has a gun, so maybe she can just shoot him." Bobby said, aiming the last few words loudly at the next room. He took another bite. "Damn, the girl can cook, too. Idjit."

Sam smiled as he and Bobby ate their supper and Dean, in the next room, drank his.

* * *

Beth looked at Sam curiously as he got off the phone, a far-away smile on his face. "Good news?" she asked softly, sipping at her coffee. His smile widened as he looked back at her.

"Yeah, I guess. An old friend-well, maybe a little more than that, but there was never much chance to find out at the time. Sarah Blake. Met her on a job a few years ago, and we kind of stay in touch, but she's from New York and we don't get that far out too often. Anyway, she's got an art thing in Chicago, and wants me to meet her there. I think I'm going. Things are pretty quiet around here right now anyway."

Beth smiled at him. "That's great, Sam, you should go. If anything comes up, I'm sure Dean and Bobby can handle it."

Sam was nodding as he stuck his phone into a pocket and headed for the yard to talk to his brother. Bobby entered the kitchen as Sam left, taking a seat at the table with Beth. "How are you, Bethany?" he asked quietly, leveling a kind gaze at her. She smiled a little weakly, looking down at the table.

"I'll be fine, Bobby." She looked back up at him, and Bobby felt a flare of aggravation at Dean as he noted the hurt in her eyes. "At least we're not fighting-he won't even stay in the same room with me long enough for us to speak to each other."

Bobby put a hand on her arm and gave it a comforting squeeze. "You just hang in there, girl. That boy may be an idjit, but he does care about you. And it scares the hell out of him." Bobby took a drink of his coffee before continuing. "Maybe you should go visit your mama for a couple of days. I have some business to take care of in Missouri, and I know Dean's getting ready to head to Montana for a job, so it would be a perfect time. Up to you, Bethany, but I'm sure she's missing you."

Beth nodded slowly. "I know she is, and I suppose I've avoided her and Rick long enough. It'll beat sitting around here alone, anyway. At least, I hope so." She smiled at Bobby, and he grinned back.

"She'll adjust, Bethany-just give her time."

Sam took off that night to head for Chicago. Beth and Bobby were packed to leave for their respective destinations the next morning, and Beth assumed that Dean was taking off then too, although they hadn't spoken since the day they made the supply run into town. She was determined to let things lie and see if he finally approached her, but she wasn't holding out much hope. He was acting as bad-tempered as ever, and she didn't want to get into another shouting match with him.

Bobby watched Dean and Beth as they avoided eye contact, conversation, or any other kind of interaction with each other. He shook his head, wishing he was still young enough to kick Dean's ass. Beth probably had the right idea, not pushing the issue while he was in the foul mood he'd been in lately. But if this hunting trip didn't snap him out of it somewhat, Bobby was going to lay down the law, somehow. He had quickly become very fond of Bethany, and to see her treated this way stuck in his craw. "A man can only stand so much," he muttered under his breath, sipping at his whiskey as he leafed through one of the worn volumes on his desk.

* * *

Bobby threw his bag in the back seat of the battered Mustang and turned, taking a smaller bag from Beth's hands, tossing it into the passenger seat. He put his arms around her and hugged her affectionately. "Have a good time at home, Bethany. Just try to be patient with your mama, she's just worried about you." Beth nodded and backed away, waving as Bobby backed up and left the property. She walked to her car, checking to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Dean walked out of the house at that moment, his duffel bag over his shoulder. He glanced at her as he threw his bag into the Impala, then stood there for a moment before walking her direction.

"You taking off?" he asked, an attempt at being nonchalant.

Beth nodded. "Just going home for a visit. Bobby thinks I need to spend a little time with my mom." They were both avoiding eye contact, and Beth hated the awkwardness of the whole situation.

"Well, drive safe. I guess I'll see you when we get back." He turned away from her, then hesitated before speaking again, his back still turned.

"Beth-I'm sorry about...well, I'm sorry."

She was silent for a beat, then answered softly. "Yeah-me too." She turned to open her car door, then spoke again. "Dean, be careful." She choked the words out, trying to make her voice sound normal.

Dean squashed the urge to go back and pull her into his arms. Instead, he nodded silently and walked to the Impala, climbing behind the wheel and waiting until Beth had started her car and backed up before firing up the engine and leaving Bobby's place for Montana.

* * *

After a couple of days in Lovell, Beth was ready to go back to Bobby's. She enjoyed working the bar again, seeing some of the regulars, and of course was glad to see her mom and Rick. Their reunion was a little tense at first, but they hugged and made up and tried to act like everything was back to normal. They all knew things had changed, though, and finally her mother's aversion to hunters and hunting and the whole idea of Beth being involved with it reared its ugly head. They had a huge fight her second night home, and as she worked the bar later that night she was mentally counting the hours until she could leave for South Dakota.

She helped clean up and close the bar that night, then headed home and upstairs to her old room. It seemed strange to be there-even though she hadn't been gone that long, it seemed like a lifetime had passed. So many things had changed. She sat on the edge of her bed, sighing, and wondered how Bobby and the boys were doing. There was a little stab of pain in her heart at the thought of Dean, and she mentally shook herself as tears stung her eyes. "Just stop it," she said quietly to herself, standing up once again to change for bed. She heard a soft knock on her door and opened it to find her mother standing there, a tray holding two cups of tea in her hands.

"Will you have a cup of tea with me before you go to bed?" She looked at her daughter with an apologetic look in her eyes, and Beth smiled, backing up to let her in.

"Of course, Mom. Earl Grey?"

"Sure, what else?" She set the tray on the bedside table and sat in the overstuffed chair near the window. Beth took her cup and sat on the edge of the bed, sipping carefully and smiling at her mother.

"Mom," Beth started to say, but her mother interrupted quietly.

"No, Beth-you don't need to say anything. I owe you an apology. You're an adult, and you have a right to follow whatever path you choose. I just get so scared, Beth. I never wanted you to even know what your daddy did, let alone get into the life. Neither did he. He tried so hard to keep you out of it, and me too, and he did a wonderful job of it his whole life. But I guess if that's what's meant to be, we can't fight it." Beth looked into her tear-filled eyes and reached for her hand.

"Mom, I understand. Believe me, I do. The whole thing terrifies me, and yet I know that I'm where I need to be. I'm not out actually fighting creatures or demons myself, I just help with research and stuff, in the background. I know it's still dangerous, but my friends are perfectly capable of protecting me and taking care of me. Please don't worry about me."

"Bobby Singer is..."

"Bobby Singer is one of the best men I've ever met, Mom. Don't even think about saying anything about Bobby. Please."  
Her mother looked into her defiant face. "Beth-I was about to say that Bobby Singer is a good man. I didn't like him when your father was alive, but that was because it seemed like he always took your dad away from me. And put him in danger. But it wasn't Bobby-your dad walked his own path." Beth stared at her mother in surprise. "It's true. I still have reservations about those Winchester boys though, but I know they're some of the best hunters around. I just don't want you getting hurt."

"Mom, I told you, I'm not on the front lines here."

"That's not the kind of hurt I'm talking about." She gazed into her daughter's eyes and sighed. "And it's too late already, isn't it? You're already in deep with one of them, aren't you?"

"I don't know, Mom. I don't know what's going on. My heart kind of has a mind of its own." She was surprised to feel the tears fill her eyes again, and looked up at her mother, who set down her cup and held out her arms to her daughter. Beth let the tears spill over as she fell to her knees, laying her head in her lap and letting her mother smooth her hair, hushing her gently.

"It's all right, Beth. You're strong, you always have been. And it takes a strong woman to love a hunter. You'll be all right."

* * *

Beth had barely laid her head down on the pillow when her phone rang. She frowned in confusion, looking at the clock. It was two in the morning. She grabbed her phone and answered quietly. "Hello?"

"Beth...I-I need your help."

"Dean?!" Fear sent adrenaline surging through her body as she heard the strained tone in his voice, like it was a struggle to speak.

"Beth, listen, I'm going to pass out soon. I'm at Rufus Turner's cabin, Whitefish, Montana. I'm hurt and I need..." His voice was fading away, and Beth felt panic clutch at the pit of her stomach.

"Dean, keep talking. Do you hear me?"

"Yeah. Need you to come, you're the closest. I think I stopped the bleeding." His words were slurring a little, and Beth was already up and throwing on her clothes as she spoke.

"Dean, I'm leaving right now, okay? I'm on my way. I'm going to call you every hour, you'd better answer me or I'll call for an ambulance, you hear me? Dean? Dean?!"

"I got it, Coop. Hurry," he said, then the line went dead.

Beth was on the road in ten minutes flat. Her GPS gave her the route to Whitefish, and she dialed Bobby as she drove, forcing herself to stay calm. After seemingly ringing forever, she finally heard Bobby's voice on the other end.

"This had better be an emergency."

"Bobby, it's me, Beth."

"Bethany? What's wrong?" His grumpy, half-asleep demeanor suddenly changed to one of worried concern.

"Dean's hurt. He says he's at Rufus Turner's cabin in Whitefish, I just need directions to get there. I'm on the way now."  
Bobby told her the simplest way to the cabin from Whitefish, making sure she had the instructions straight before questioning her further.

"How do you know he's hurt?"

Beth swallowed hard, fighting her emotions. "He called me, Bobby, and said he needs my help. It must be bad, Bobby. I'm eight hours away from him-I'm scared."

"I know, Bethany. But you need to stay focused on the road for right now. Did he say how he's injured?"

"He said he thought he had the bleeding stopped, but he was on the verge of passing out. I told him I was going to call every hour, and that he'd better answer or I'd send an ambulance." She fought for just a few seconds to compose herself again before speaking. "Bobby-do you think I should call for one now? What if he's still bleeding? I don't know what to do."

"Beth, listen to me. If he thought he couldn't make it, he would have called one himself, he's not stupid. Just stubborn. But if he doesn't answer you, follow through and do it. No matter what's going on, we can come up with some kind of cover story if we have to." Bobby took a deep breath before continuing. "Can you focus on your driving, and get there in one piece, Bethany? Because if you can't, I'll start making phone calls and hit the road myself."

"I'm okay, Bobby. I'll make it. I'm a nurse, or almost a nurse, I can take care of things once I get there, don't worry."

"I'll check in with you later, girl. You just stay calm and do what you have to do, and make it there. He needs you, Beth."

"I know, Bobby. I'll talk to you later."

It seemed like the hours were dragging by as Beth drove through the endless empty night, and the morning didn't bring her much comfort either. She had hardly met another vehicle on the drive, and felt like she was alone in the world. She had been calling Dean every hour, occasionally more often, and so far he had answered. But he sounded weak and disoriented, and she was trying not to think about what she might find when she finally reached her destination. She had about an hour left before she arrived, and she swore that the road was on an endless loop, taking her nowhere as she fought panic and fear. She had to hold it together, because Dean's life depended on it. He couldn't even communicate enough to tell her what his injuries were, and she just hoped he was right in thinking he had stopped the bleeding. She had to believe that Bobby was right, he was used to dealing with injuries and knew what he was doing.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she saw the lights of Whitefish up ahead. She needed to go through town, continue north for 7 miles, and turn east for 5 more. She had repeated Bobby's directions over and over in her head the whole way, not wanting to get lost when she was this close. "Please, be all right," she whispered as she pulled into the small ski resort town. She pulled into the convenience store, filling her tank as quickly as possible, then moving impatiently to the last leg of her journey. She dialed Dean's number as she left town, praying for an answer.

"Beth?"

"Dean, I'm almost there. I just came through Whitefish, I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?"

"Okay." His voice was barely audible, and she kept talking.

"Dean, you have to hang on. I'm almost there. Don't you give up on me, you hear me?"

After a moment of silence, he answered, "I hear you."

She kept talking to him until she pulled into the driveway to the cabin, sitting alone on a hill overlooking the mountains. It was mid-morning now, but the sky was filled with heavy dark clouds and a fine mist had just begun to fall as she parked. She grabbed her bag and the medical kit, and ran up the stairs, bursting through the door. "Dean! Where are you?" she called, hearing his voice faintly answer. She walked a few steps further into the room and saw him. He had almost made it to the couch, but lay face down on the floor, his phone gripped in his hand.  
She shoved the coffee table out of the way and knelt down on the floor next to him, speaking softly. "Dean-I'm here. Are you with me?" She heard him breath her name, but he was too weak to move, and she took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she would face when she turned him over. She took his phone from his hand, which was not easy. He let out a soft moan of pain as she moved his arm down to his side, then as gently as possible turned him over to his back.

She closed her eyes, fighting panic for a moment as she took in his blood-soaked clothing. He had wrapped his long-sleeved outer shirt tightly around his right thigh, and it was saturated. There was a gash on his face, from the corner of his left eye down almost to his chin, but it didn't look very deep. A towel was wrapped around his torso, held in place with duct tape, and it was also soaked, as well as the one covering his chest. "Dean, why didn't you just go to the hospital?" she murmured to herself as she tried to assess the damage. He was also bleeding from a cut on his head, but that was minor compared to the rest.

Beth took a deep breath, opening the medical kit, and decided to remove the makeshift bandage from his chest first. She cut the tape and lifted the towel carefully away, finding a deep gash running from his left shoulder across to his right upper chest, where it deepened, gapping open and seeping blood as she removed the compress. "Dean-I'm sorry, I have to clean this. I have to pour alcohol over it, it's going to hurt." She took a clean towel from the stack she had grabbed out of the bathroom, rolling part of it to a good thickness for him to bite down on. He was barely conscious, but this would shock him awake, momentarily at least, and she wanted him to be prepared. She put the towel in place between his teeth, and he nodded, barely. She wasted no time, pouring the alcohol over the gaping wound, and Dean's body arched upward in pain, muffled sounds escaping from around the towel in his mouth. She gently touched his face as he slowly relaxed, breathing hard, and then mercifully lost consciousness. She took advantage of that and prepared the needle and sutures, sewing him back together.

"You are going to look like Frankenstein's monster, Dean. What did you fight with, a samurai?" She was pushing her emotions down deep, trying to focus on the physical task in front of her. She worked quickly, but the chest wound still took almost an hour to repair. Once she was finished with that, she cleaned up the blood from the area, bandaged it and prepared to move to his abdomen. She was afraid of the wound on his thigh-what if it had nicked the femoral artery? She tried not to think about that, refocusing her mind on the task at hand.

As she worked to close the gash across his torso, she shook her head. She had thought that the amount of suture thread and bandages they carried in their medical kits was excessive, but this proved her wrong. She swallowed hard as she closed the cut across his ribs-she could see a little flash of white bone in one spot, and she fought a clutch of panic as she realized how close he had come to death. "You should not be doing this alone, Dean," she muttered, angry at him for going off by himself. "You are not Superman."

"No. I'm Batman," he whispered, the corners of his mouth barely turning up, and she smiled down at him, blinking hard to chase tears away.  
Once the bandage was in place on his midsection, she stood for a moment, stretching to relieve the muscle cramps in her back and neck from bending over him for so long. She debated for a moment, then decided-he needed to get off the floor. It was cold down there, and she eyed the couch, wondering if she could manage to get him up there.

"Dean, do you think you can help me get you up to the couch?" He nodded slowly, and she knelt beside him, slipping her arm under the back of his neck to help him sit up slightly. "Ready?" He nodded again, then she focused all her strength on lifting him up from the floor. Beth ducked underneath his arm, then lifted using her legs, trying to ignore the pained sounds he was trying to muffle. He managed to lift himself enough to barely get his butt to the edge of the couch, and Beth stood directly in front of him to keep him from falling back down. She grabbed his legs and carefully swung them up onto the couch, then sank to her knees in exhaustion. She sat there, catching her breath for a moment, then felt his hand touch her face. She put her hand over his, leaning against it with her eyes closed for a few seconds and fighting to force her emotions back down to a manageable level. There was still his leg to fix, and she had no idea how bad it was.

She stood and stretched again, then went to the bedroom for a pillow and blanket. She helped him lift his head, slipping the pillow underneath, and covered the top portion of his body with the blanket. Then she turned her attention to his leg. She pulled a chair up close and surveyed the situation, reluctant to take his makeshift bandage off. "Dean, are you sure the knife didn't hit your artery? If it did, and I unwrap this, you could bleed to death before I can get help." She looked down at him, worry creasing her forehead.

Dean shook his head slowly. "No-it's deep, but it wasn't bleeding like that."

Beth took a deep breath. "Okay then. I'm going to have to cut off your jeans." As she watched his face, a faint version of his smirk curved his lips. She smiled in spite of the gravity of the situation, shaking her head as she reached for the scissors.

She split the leg of his jeans up to the point where the shirt was tied around his thigh, then chopped off and discarded the denim. Once she unwrapped the wound, she could cut the rest out of the way. She proceeded to cut the shirt, deciding that would be easier than untying the knot he had put in to hold it in place. She carefully peeled the makeshift bandage away, then quickly finished cutting the denim that was in her way. The cut was deep in his thigh-it looked like whatever weapon was used had been almost buried there. Dean was rolling his head back and forth in pain, and Beth stopped for a moment, rising to grab the bottle of whiskey from her bag. "Here," she said, unscrewing the cap and holding it to his lips, "drink. It might help a little." Dean gratefully took a couple of swallows, and she replaced the cap, leaving the bottle next to him so it was within his reach. She gave him the towel once again to bite down on and steeled herself against thinking of the fiery pain she was about to put him through. She poured the alcohol into the cut and squeezed her eyes shut as his cry of agony echoed through the cabin, even through the towel clenched between his teeth. Then there was silence, and she knew that he had passed out again.

Beth angrily brushed tears from her face with shaking hands, then took a deep breath and began her task. She had to stop and close her eyes for a moment every few stitches to force them to focus-she had been without sleep for going on thirty hours, and exhaustion was beginning to take its toll. Dean was in and out of consciousness, waking a couple of times just long enough to take a drink of the whiskey before giving in again. Beth finally finished the stitches, cleaned the area and covered it liberally with gauze, then wrapping more around his thigh to hold the bandage in place. Once it was secured, she moved the chair, bending to examine the cuts on his head and face. She cleaned his face with a warm cloth, opting to apply antibiotic ointment instead of alcohol, then pulling the edges together with several butterfly bandages. The cut on his head was, thankfully, superficial, and she washed it and coated it with the ointment, leaving it uncovered.

She stood, barely able to keep her eyes open any longer, looking down at Dean's bruised and battered body. He was actually sleeping now, his breathing even, and she took the blanket and tucked it around him. She walked to the bedroom, grabbing the comforter from the bed and carrying it to the living room, sinking down against the couch. She took the whiskey bottle, lifting it to her lips and taking several swallows before putting the cap back on. Then she wrapped herself in the quilt and leaned back against the couch, finally letting herself fall asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

A soft moan from behind her woke Beth up. She was disoriented and stiff, and it took her a moment to remember where she was. It was dark in the cabin, and she sat up from her hard makeshift bed, reaching over for her bag, grabbing the flashlight. She spied a lamp over next to an overstuffed chair near the couch, and stood slowly, every muscle aching. She tilted the lampshade away from the couch and turned it on, blinking quickly as her eyes adjusted to the light.

She knelt next to the couch, where Dean lay trying to keep his eyes open to look at her. "Dean-how are you feeling?"

"Like I went ten rounds with that chick from 'Kill Bill,'" he muttered, and Beth smiled.

"That's what you look like. Let me get you some water, and we need to get some food in you." She touched his face gently, then laid a hand on his forehead. "Do you have antibiotics in the med kit?"

He nodded. "And pain pills."

"Okay. But food first," she said, rising to her feet and heading for the kitchen. She put soup on the stove to heat and brought a glass of water to Dean, helping him sit up enough to sip at it, urging him to drink as much as he could. She dug through Rufus' closet, finding a soft flannel shirt and helping Dean put it on, then grabbed extra pillows from the bedroom, carefully propping him upright enough that he could manage to eat the soup. Once he was finished, she gave him the medication he needed and helped him lay back down.

"Beth," he said quietly, "you need to eat."

"Right now, all I want to do is sleep," she answered as she knelt next to him, smiling and tucking the blanket around him.

"Go sleep on the bed," he ordered, "I'll be fine here."

"I'll get some more blankets to lay on, but I'm staying right here in case you need me, Dean," she said firmly, looking down at him. He opened his eyes and caught her in a gaze so intense it almost took her breath away.

"I do need you, Coop." Beth stared back at him for a moment, then she bent to touch her lips softly to his. She raised her head, looking down at him again, touching his face and smiling before getting up to look for more bedding. When she returned, he was asleep, and she prepared her bed and shut off the light before joining him in exhausted slumber.

* * *

Beth drove back to the cabin the next morning, the back seat loaded with groceries and some extra clothes for Dean. She had written a note, leaving it on Dean's chest where he'd be sure to see it, and headed to town. He needed some good, nourishing food in his system to recover after the injuries and blood loss he'd suffered, and there wasn't much left in the cabin's pantry.

She carried the first of the bags into the cabin, walking in just in time to see Dean lowering himself back down to the couch, grimacing with pain. She hastily set the groceries down and rushed to his side, scolding. "What are you doing up? You're lucky you didn't start bleeding again, walking on that leg! And what if you passed out and fell?"

"Hey, a man's gotta pee," he argued, frowning back at her. She stared back at him for a moment, then her lips twitched into a smile in spite of herself.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I could have left a bottle or something, I didn't think."

He smiled faintly as he laid back down. "It's okay. I'll live."

"I'm going out to get the rest of the stuff-I got you some pajama pants to wear until your leg heals a little. Be right back." She walked back in, loaded down with bags and handed him the bag of clothes she had purchased, carrying the rest into the kitchen.

"I need a shower," Dean grumped, and she came out of the room and stood, hands on hips, staring at him.

"Like that's gonna happen. I'll bring you some hot water and soap, you can clean up, but you can't get those bandages wet, Dean. I'm sorry, but for now it'll have to do." She found a basin and filled it with hot water, then went to the bathroom and grabbed soap, a washcloth and a couple of towels, depositing them on the coffee table. She pushed it back in place in front of the couch and stood looking down at her disgruntled patient. "Do you need anything else?"

He gave a disgusted sigh, muttering, "No."

"Good. I'll be in the kitchen making some breakfast. Yell when you're done-or if you need help with anything." He shot her a suggestive sidelong glance, one eyebrow raised, and she smiled and shook her head, leaving the room once again. She busied herself making some hash browns, bacon and eggs, then stuck them in the oven to stay warm until Dean was ready for them. She heard him call her name, his voice a little strained, and went quickly into the living room. "Are you okay?" she asked, concerned. He had managed to get the lower half of his body clean and clothed, but was laying back on the couch, his energy spent.

"I guess I'm a little weak," he said quietly, then pulled himself back into a sitting position with some effort and a hand from Beth. "I hate to ask, but can you get my back?"

She smiled at him. "Of course I can. Just lean up a little." She soaped the cloth, ringing it out somewhat so she wouldn't drench him in the process, and started at the back of his neck, working her way down to his waist. She was glad he couldn't see her face, because she knew she was blushing as she made gentle circles across the breadth of his muscular back. She rinsed the cloth and went over the area again to remove the soap, then took the soft towel and patted him dry. Then she stood, taking the clean t-shirt she had bought and putting it over his head, helping him get his arms in and pulling it carefully down over his bandages. "Better?" she asked softly, helping him lay back onto the pillow. He nodded, avoiding her eyes as he covered himself with the blanket.

"Yeah-thanks."

Beth grabbed the basin and towels, taking them to the bathroom, and then went to the kitchen, bringing breakfast for them both to the living room. "Let me get some more pillows behind you," she offered, helping Dean get into a semi-sitting position so he could eat. He didn't look very interested in the food, but she coaxed him. "Dean, you're not going to get your strength back unless you eat. Please?" Once he started, his appetite improved, and they ate together. Then she helped him lay back down, and he was asleep before she carried the dishes out of the room.

That night Beth made supper, then helped Dean off with his shirt and carefully removed the bandage from his chest. Everything looked good, so she put clean bandages on. He laid back as she checked his abdominal wound and redressed it. All that was left was his thigh, and she was dreading that.

"Dean-I'll need you to take your pants off." She sat, waiting for the remarks.

"All you had to do is ask, Coop," he teased quietly, and Beth shook her head.

"I knew you'd do this," she muttered under her breath, and a low chuckle reached her ears.

"You're blushing."

"You're a jackass."

He eased his pants down and let them drop to his ankles, grinning the whole time. "I'm a jackass without pants."

Beth shook her head, trying not to smile. At least she had remembered to buy him boxers. She unwrapped the gauze from around his thigh, and carefully removed the bandage. To her relief, the stitches and the wound looked good. "You did a good job, Beth. How long did all this take?" She looked up to see a concerned frown on Dean's face.

"Several hours. You were unconscious for a lot of it, thank God."

He was quiet for a long moment before he spoke again. "You saved my life, Coop." The playfulness was gone now, and he gazed intently into Beth's brown eyes.

"And you saved mine. You killed Crowley."

He looked away, his jaw working. "Cas saved you. I made the decision to let you die."

Beth took a breath before answering, working on replacing the bandages. "You made the decision you had to make. You saved a lot of people by getting rid of that demon. You couldn't let him become immortal, Dean. Do you really think he would have saved me when he got what he wanted?" He didn't answer, and she finished putting the bandage in place. "Dean, is that part of what this last couple of weeks has been about? You feel guilty about that? Because if you do-don't. I don't blame you for any of it. I told you, I believe everything happens for a reason. And besides-I'm still here. I didn't die. Let it go, Dean."

She put a hand on his arm and waited for him to look at her. When he finally did, his green eyes were clouded with guilt. "Beth, you have no idea...some of the things I've done...I'm not who you think I am."

She stared back at him unflinchingly. "You're not who you think you are, Dean. I've seen the real you, the one you try like hell to keep buried under all that armor and attitude. You're a good man."

The muscle in his jaw was working again as his eyes flicked over her face. "What makes you so sure?" His voice was rough, almost angry, and the pain behind it almost brought tears to Beth's eyes. She put a gentle hand to his face.

"I don't know. I just am." She dropped her hand and stood. "Not that you're not a huge pain in the butt sometimes. You can pull up your pants now."

He stood stiffly and she helped him ease the pants over his bandages. Beth grabbed the blankets from the top of the trunk beside the couch, but Dean shook his head. "No-we're sleeping on the bed tonight. I can make it now, and you need to get some sleep." Beth started to protest, but he cut her off. "There's room for both of us, I won't bite." A smirk made its way onto his face then, making her smile. "Besides, it won't be the first time we've slept together."

"Yeah, but I was unconscious for most of that," she quipped. He grinned back at her, and she shook her head, carrying the blankets and pillows to the bedroom, then coming back to help Dean. She pulled the covers over him, then put the comforter back over the top and went into the bathroom to change into a t-shirt and flannel pants. She climbed under the blankets, curling up on her side and sighing quietly, drifting quickly off to sleep.

* * *

Beth opened her eyes slowly as she woke the next morning. She attempted to stretch, but found herself oddly unable to move. She lifted her head, then realized that Dean's arm was under her neck, his forearm across her chest and his hand firmly holding onto her shoulder as she lay on her side with her back to him. Her eyes widened as she moved slightly, and Dean's grip on her tightened as he let out a sigh, shifting a little in his sleep. She reached a hand up and gently pried his fingers loose from her shoulder, lowering his arm so she could lift herself out of his grasp. She padded barefoot to the bathroom, grabbing her bag as quietly as possible as she left, closing the bedroom door behind her.

"How the hell did that happen?" she muttered to herself, shaking her head. She didn't remember snuggling up to him, but he could barely move, so it had to be her fault. All she could do was hope he didn't remember any of it. Because if he did-she'd never hear the end of it. She quickly dressed in the living room, then started a fire in the fireplace to take the chill out of the air in the cabin. She went to the kitchen and started coffee, throwing a blanket around her shoulders as she settled on the couch to wait for it to brew. She shivered a little, trying not to think of how comfortable and warm it had been in the bed. She pulled out her phone to see what time it was-barely after 6 in the morning. She wanted to call Sam, but it was only an hour later in Chicago, and she didn't want to call him too early. She hated to even bother him, but knew he would want to know what had happened with Dean. She sent him a message to call when he could, then fired off a message to Bobby to let him know how things were going, even though she knew he'd call her anyway. She went after coffee, the largest mug she could find, then sat down with her laptop, grateful for the satellite-run wi-fi, to email her mother, letting her know everything was okay and she was safe. Then she surfed the web for a while, snuggled under the blanket to try and keep warm.

It was quite a while later that she heard Dean call to her. She peeked into the bedroom to see him laying there, his good leg hanging over the side of the bed. "Need some help?" she asked, and he nodded rather reluctantly. She reached a hand out and he grasped it, using the leverage to help himself sit up, wincing as he moved. "Easy," she said softly, "just take your time." She could read the look on his face, frustrated and almost ashamed, and she laid a hand on his shoulder. "Dean-you almost bled to death, and you're stitched together like a quilt. It's gonna take a little time to heal." She pulled the blankets off of his legs, helping him swing his injured leg around so he could sit on the edge of the bed.

"I can make it now," he said, still not meeting her eyes, and she sighed.

"Fine. I'll be out here-if you need me, just yell." She turned to leave the room, then stopped for a moment, looking over her shoulder at him.

"You don't need to be so hard on yourself, you know. Truthfully, you probably should have spent a couple of days in the hospital." Then she turned and left the room, leaving Dean to mentally rail against his physical state.

She was finishing breakfast when he finally made his way out to the couch, lowering himself down with a sigh of relief. "Smells good," he called to her, and she smiled, glad that his appetite was returning.

She carried their plates to the living room and joined him on the couch, first helping him prop his leg up on the tattered old footstool. They ate their bacon and eggs in relative silence, then sat drinking their coffee in front of the fire. Dean sent a sidelong glance Beth's way, and she closed her eyes. "Here we go," she thought, bracing herself for the comment that was surely coming her way.

"So-must have gotten cold last night, huh?"

"Why?" she asked shortly.

"You got kind of cozy with me last night. Or was it just my raw animal magnetism?" He was looking at her with feigned innocence on his face, and she suppressed the urge to hit him.

"Apparently I must have been cold-if it was animal magnetism, you'd think I'd remember something about it, wouldn't you?" He was trying not to smile, but the corners of his mouth were losing the battle, and his eyes were shining with an impish light. "I knew you'd do this," she snapped. She stood, setting her mug on the coffee table and walking over to grab her jacket off the chair. She was shoving her feet into her shoes as she zipped the hooded sweatshirt and turned towards the door. "I'm going for a walk-it's less obnoxious outside." She closed the door a little harder than she meant to as she left, and Dean grinned as he lifted his coffee cup to his lips.

Beth made a mile in no time, fuming the entire way. He was such an arrogant...her phone rang just then, and she grabbed it from her pocket, breathing hard from her fast pace. She stopped and answered, "Hi, Sam."

"Beth-how are you? You sound like you've been running or something."

"Just putting some temporary distance between me and your brother."

There was silence on the other end. "Not sure if I should laugh at that."

"Go ahead, I'm sure he is."

"What? What's going on, anyway? I thought Dean was on a job in Montana and you were at your mom's."

"I was and he was. He had a run-in with a pretty nasty vengeful spirit, one armed with a machete or sword or something, and damn near got himself killed. He called me for help, so I came up here to Rufus' cabin to stitch him back together. Literally. And apparently to put up with his sense of humor."

"Is he okay? I can catch a flight..."

"No, don't do that, Sam. He'll be fine-but I hope he learned that he should probably not hunt alone. Although I doubt if he ever learns anything."

Sam laughed. "I hope he doesn't drive you to murder before he's healed enough to get away. Are you sure you don't need me to come?

"No, it's okay. I think Bobby might be having somebody drive him up here in the next couple of days, so that we can get both our cars back to Sioux Falls. We'll be fine until then. I promise I won't kill him at least until he's healthy again." She chatted for a few more minutes before ending the call and heading back to the cabin.

Dean was on his phone when she walked in, slipping her shoes off and tossing her jacket at the chair. She went to the kitchen for coffee, sitting down at the table and opening her laptop to keep her distance from Dean. He finished his call, hanging up and twisting around to look at her from over the back of the couch. "You still mad at me?"

"Pretty much all the time," she shot back. "I think you like it that way."

"I actually liked it better last night."

Beth raised her gaze to meet his, ready with an angry retort, but it died on her lips. He wasn't teasing, and his eyes glowed as he looked back at her. She felt her cheeks warm, and abruptly changed the subject. "Who was on the phone?"

He was quiet for a beat before answering. "Bobby. He's on his way here, some friend of his is giving him a lift so he can take your car home."

"What about the Impala? You can't drive, Dean."

"No, but you can drive her." Beth looked up in surprise.

"You'd let me drive your car? Are you running a fever?"

Dean's mouth curved in a one-sided smile. "No-you appreciate Baby, and I thought you'd like to drive her."

"Wow." She looked up, an almost guilty expression on her face. "I kind of have a lead foot sometimes."

Dean grinned. "She's used to that, Coop." He looked at her, his smile fading, and continued. "I'm sorry I gave you a hard time, okay? Do you want to play cards or something? I'm going stir-crazy here."

Beth stared back at him for a moment. "All right. But if we play for money, I warn you-I won't take it easy on you just because you're injured."

"You're on," Dean fired back. "There's a deck of cards in the table drawer."

Beth caught herself actually having a good time with Dean. They were laughing and teasing each other as they played gin, penny a point, until they got hungry and she rose to get some lunch for them. "Told you I wouldn't take it easy on you," she quipped as she headed to the kitchen. "I believe you owe me some money, Winchester."

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry, I'll get you your money-shark."

She carried plates with sandwiches, chips and fruit from the kitchen, smiling at Dean playfully. "My daddy taught me how to play gin-I never hid that fact from you."

"Never shared the info either," Dean groused, smiling, then bit into his sandwich. They turned on the small television and watched the news and then part of a talk show as they ate. Beth bent to take Dean's plate from him and frowned, worry in her eyes.

"Dean, you look beat. You should lay down and sleep for a while," she said as she carried their plates to the kitchen. When she came back, he was laying down on the couch.

"I think I will." He looked up at her as she tucked a blanket around him. "I hate being like this."

"I know. But the more rest you get, the faster you'll heal, Dean." She laid a cool hand on his forehead, checking for fever. "You're taking the antibiotics, right?" He nodded, and she smiled down at him. "Okay, get some sleep." He drifted off slowly, his eyes closing as he watched Beth curled up in the chair with a book, one finger absently playing with her hair in between turning pages.

* * *

Dean woke slowly, moving rather stiffly, but at least he was able to move, so things were getting better. He heard Beth in the kitchen, the sounds of her chopping something, the radio playing softly and her voice occasionally joining in. He smiled to himself-it was actually pleasant to just lie there and listen, to know someone was there with him. And she sounded-happy. He remembered Bobby talking about how his wife would hum as she worked in the kitchen, and he smiled. Beth should sound like that more often, he thought, and he knew that some-well, most-of her recent unhappiness had been due to him. His smile faded as he felt the all-too-familiar stab of guilt.

She walked into the room, drying her hands on the towel tossed over her shoulder, and smiled at him. "Hey, sleepyhead-how are you doing?"  
He sat up slowly, stretching carefully. "Better, I think. It's getting a little easier to move, anyway." He looked up at her, and she tilted her head, her eyes wary.

"Okay, what is it? I can tell there's something going on in that head of yours," she said, sitting on the edge of the coffee table.

"Can I take a shower yet?" he asked, a little-boy pleading look on his face. Beth smiled reluctantly at him.

"Stop with the face, you make me feel like a bully," she said, then sighed. "All right, let's take off your shirt and check the stitches, and we'll see." She helped him get the t-shirt off, and carefully removed the bandages from his chest, then his belly, and checked his wounds. They were mending nicely, and Beth smiled at him as he gazed up at her.

"Well, doc-what do you think?"

"Let's check your leg-if it looks this good, I guess you can shower, if you think you can stand okay for that long." He stood and lowered his pants, and Beth looked up at him, one corner of her mouth curling in a half-smile. "What-no smart comments?"

"I'm trying to be good so you'll let me do this. Is it working?" he asked, lowering himself back down beside her.

"I'll let you know in a minute," she answered, unwrapping the gauze from his thigh. It was actually looking pretty good too, and she smiled at him. "All right-I guess you can shower, and then we'll redress these when you're done." She looked at him, concern on her face. "I wish you'd wait-I'm not sure you're strong enough. Are you sure you can stand for that long?"

"I'm sure."

"Will you leave the bedroom door open so I can hear if you need help?"

He looked up at her with a gleam in his eyes. "Promise you won't try to peek?"

Beth couldn't hold back her smile. "I promise, now go before I change my mind," she scolded, then headed to the kitchen to stir the soup she had left simmering on the stove.

* * *

"Coop," Dean called from the bedroom, and Beth turned from what she was doing in the kitchen and walked quickly towards his wavering voice.

"Are you all right?" she asked, seeing him lying back on the bed. She was grateful that he had managed to at least get his boxers on, but she felt herself blush anyway. "Dean?" She came closer to the bed. He was shaking a little, his eyes closed, and she pulled the blankets from under him and covered him up, sitting next to him at the edge of the bed. "Too soon?" she asked gently, tucking the blanket up around his neck.

"I guess I should have listened to you, huh?" he said weakly, a faint smile on his face as he barely opened his eyes to look at her.

"Well, that would be different," she teased, putting a hand to his forehead. "Just rest a little, then we'll see about bandaging you up."  
Beth walked out into the living room, pulling the door partway shut behind her. Her hands were shaking, and she rubbed her palms down the sides of her jeans, taking several deep breaths. He had no idea how close he had come to dying the other night. When she realized the extent of his weakness, it scared her so badly-if she had been any later getting there, if she had unwrapped that wound on his leg and the artery had been compromised, if cleaning and stitching the wounds had sent him into shock... She raised one trembling hand to brush the hair from her face, then curled up in the big overstuffed chair, tucking her legs underneath her, and let the tears come.

When Dean walked out of the bedroom about an hour later, Beth looked up from her book, the light in her eyes subdued. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice so quiet he had to strain to hear her.

"Better," he answered, taking a seat on the couch. "Are you? You look..."

"I'm just kind of exhausted, that's all. I'm fine. Are you hungry?" she asked as she rose from the chair, heading for the kitchen. Dean reached out and grabbed her hand as she tried to pass, stopping her in her tracks.

"Beth-what's wrong?"

She pulled her hand away gently. "I'm fine." She returned shortly, bearing two steaming bowls of the soup she had made earlier that day.

"That smells great," he said, smiling at her. Her half-hearted attempt to smile back troubled him. She sat down next to him on the couch, and he set his bowl down, then took hers, putting it next to his on the coffee table. "You've been crying. Beth-talk to me." His brows were drawn together in a worried frown, his green eyes dark as they gazed into her face. "Come on, Coop-what's going on?"  
She shook her head, refusing to meet his eyes. "When I walked in there a little while ago, it just hit me like a freight train-how close you were to..."

"Dying?"

She nodded, fighting tears again. "If anything at all had gone wrong, Dean, you wouldn't have made it. If I had messed up one little thing, or not been able to find this place, or-or..."

"Damn. And Sam thinks I have a God complex."

"What?" She looked at him, her eyes wide.

"Coop-if I hadn't made it, it would have been my fault, not yours. Yeah, you saved my life. You did the best you could-and you did great, by the way. There wasn't anything more you could have done."

Beth roughly wiped a tear from her face, looking up at him with a trembling smile. "Wow, you should listen to your own sermon, Pastor Dean. You're the one always carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"Apparently I have some help. And I prefer Padre." He winked at her, reaching for his soup as he settled back into the couch and dug in. "This-is awesome, Coop." She smiled at him again, reaching for her own bowl, and Dean turned on the television. They watched a game show, eating in silence together.

Later that night, Beth crawled into bed, curling up on her side and sighing with exhaustion. Dean lay on the other side of the bed, so quiet that she assumed he was already asleep. She had bandaged his healing wounds again before they headed to bed, and he had gone in before her while she did the dishes. Tomorrow Bobby would be here, and they would go back to Sioux Falls, and she wasn't sure how she was feeling about that. Here, in this secluded spot, Dean had to talk to her, spend time with her, and she wasn't sure she was ready to give that up. She didn't want to go back to the way it had been before, and she wasn't sure he wouldn't revert to that once they were back in the real world. She felt tears sting her eyes again, and blinked impatiently, trying to chase them away.

"Beth," Dean said quietly, "come here."

"What?" She had thought he was asleep, and both his voice and his request surprised her.

"Will you just come here?"

"Why?" She knew she sounded wary and distrustful, but that was how she was feeling.

She heard him take a breath. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again. "You don't have to be afraid of me, Beth."  
There was something raw and vulnerable in his voice, and she took a shaky breath, moving over and laying her head on his shoulder, laying her arm carefully across him where there was no injury. He pulled her close, his arm around her back and his hand resting on her waist. The tears that had come so easily all afternoon were back, and she knew Dean could feel them wetting his shirt. She felt his arm tighten around her, and he rested his cheek on her hair, not saying a word. After a few minutes, she felt his other hand touch her face; then with a thumb and forefinger, he tilted her head back and touched his lips to hers, a gentle caress that sent her reeling. He raised his head a little, murmuring, "Thank you, Beth," before kissing her again, then pulling her close into the circle of his arms and sighing contentedly as he went to sleep. Beth drifted off a little more slowly, knowing in her heart that she was lost.

* * *

Beth stood at the window the next morning, a blanket around her shoulders and a mug of coffee clutched in her hands. The sunrise was beautiful, and she let herself revel in the temporary serenity. Dean was still asleep, but once she woke, she had been unable to doze off again, and in a way, she was glad. She wanted to remember the quiet peace of this morning, hold it close and treasure it. She wanted to remember the feeling of waking up cradled in Dean's arms, the gentle care he had shown her last night. She tried to set it all firmly in her memory, and felt a little sad again at the thought of leaving the cabin.

As she stood there, lost in her own musings, Dean came quietly into the room. She turned, smiling gently as he greeted her. "Morning, Coop."

"Good morning. Coffee?"

"That sounds great." He took a seat on the couch. "Hey-I made it up on my own today, doc."

She was smiling as she walked towards him with a steaming cup. "I noticed. You're healing really well, Dean."

He looked up at her as he took his coffee, his eyes grateful. "Thanks to you."

She sat down next to him, tucking her legs up underneath her. "You never did really tell me what happened, you know."

He shrugged. "Not much to tell. Angry spirit, and he did not want me to burn his bones. Got seriously pissed off about it. Some kind of soldier, he had a sword. Maybe cavalry, I couldn't tell for sure, I was too busy trying not to be impaled."

Beth was quiet for a moment, then spoke softly. "It still amazes me, how normal all that seems to you."

"It is pretty normal for me. I've been doing it practically my whole life."

"I guess I should be pretty thankful that my dad protected me from all that. I had a fairly normal childhood. You and Sam-this is all you've ever known. I can't imagine."

Dean shrugged. "Dad did what he could. He wanted us to know how to protect ourselves, and he didn't want anyone else to go through what our family went through, you know? He was pretty obsessed, but he also cared about keeping us safe and saving people. Somebody's gotta do it, I guess."

"I guess. Except most people go through life oblivious to it all. I was." Dean was so quiet that Beth looked over at him curiously. "What, Dean?"

"Do you remember when I asked you about wiping your memory?"

Beth smiled. "Yeah. Socrates."

Dean looked down, a crooked smile on his face. "Right." Then his gaze met hers, and his smile faded. "I wanted to call Castiel. Have him make you forget all about us, and the demons, and Crowley. I wanted you to have peace of mind."

"So you were serious that day."

"Yeah-and you remember, Sam was seriously pissed."

"Dean," she began hesitantly, staring into her coffee cup before raising her gaze to meet his. "I'm glad you didn't." Her heart was beginning to race at the intensity in his eyes, and then they heard a vehicle outside and the moment was over. There were footsteps on the stairs, and then Bobby walked into the room.

"Well, ya idjit-are ya gonna live?"

Dean grinned, nodding towards Beth. "Thanks to Nurse Coop, here."

Bobby smiled at her. "The fact that he's still breathing is a testament to your patience, girl. You've been shut up in here with him for three days and you haven't finished him off yourself. I'm impressed."

"Hey!" Dean protested, frowning, but Bobby grinned at him and his frown faded.

"Son, I know what a pain in the ass you are when you're hurt-and you've been a royal one lately anyway. You owe Bethany. Don't forget it." Bobby's face was serious now. "I mean it, Dean."

Dean nodded slowly. "I know, Bobby." He glanced up at Beth for a split second, then dropped his eyes to the floor.

Bobby nodded. "Okay, let's get things squared away and hit the road, I'm ready to get home." Together, he and Beth set things in order, cleaned out the kitchen and loaded the cars. Bobby helped Dean to the car and he settled into the passenger seat of the Impala. Beth handed Bobby her keys. He opened the door of her Fairlane and nodded to her. "See you down the road. Drive safe, Bethany."

She smiled and waved, then climbed behind the wheel, the door squeaking as she pulled it shut. Her smile widened as Dean handed her the keys and she started the rumbling engine. She put her hands on the steering wheel, almost a caress. "It's okay, Baby-I'll take good care of you, I promise." She glanced over at Dean, who was leaning back against the seat, his eyes closed and a smirk on his lips. Beth put the car in gear and headed down the drive; and as she pulled onto the highway, she couldn't resist squealing the tires just a little. Then she reached over and pushed the cassette tape into the deck, tweaking the volume and settling in for the drive back to Sioux Falls.

* * *

By the time they reached the salvage yard the next day, Beth was weary and she could tell by the strain around Dean's eyes that he needed rest. They had stopped at a cheap motel in Sheridan, Wyoming, the night before, but none of them had gotten much sleep, and they were all exhausted. She pulled into the yard and parked, and the silence seemed strange as she shut off the engine. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, and Dean nodded. "Let's get you in the house first, then I can grab our stuff." She climbed out of the car, going around to the passenger side and opening the door. Bobby stepped up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll help him, Bethany-go unlock the doors."

She did as Bobby asked, then headed into Bobby's room and folded back the bedding. Bobby helped lower Dean to the bed, and he laid back with an exhausted sigh of relief. "Man, does this feel good," he said as Beth covered him. He smiled a little weakly up at her, and she sat on the edge of the mattress, smiling back.

"What?" she asked quietly.

"How'd you like driving the Impala?"

Beth's smile widened. "I loved it."

Dean let his eyes close, still smiling. "That's my girl." She began to stand, but Dean's hand reached from under the covers, grabbing hers, and his eyes opened again. "Stay with me tonight, Beth."

"Dean..."

"Please." She met his eyes, and the battle with herself was lost.

"All right. But I have to help Bobby right now. I'll come back-I promise." Dean smiled again as she tucked his hand back under the blankets and stood to leave the room.

"Animal magnetism," he muttered, and Beth shook her head, smiling.

"Shut up."

She helped Bobby unload the cars, then sat down on the couch to join him in a drink. Bobby looked at her, and as he spoke, she could see the emotions playing on his face before he glanced back down at his desk. "Bethany-you saved that boy's life. Thank you."

"Bobby, I just happened to be the closest. You or Sam would have done the same." She finished her drink, then stood. "I'm staying with him, Bobby. You can have my bed, if you want."

Bobby's eyes met hers for a moment. "All right, girl. You get some rest."

Beth nodded, flashing him a tired smile as she walked over to give him a hug. "Good night, Bobby."

He watched her walk to the bedroom door, turning back once to look at him again. "Good night, Bethany."

* * *

Bobby was still sitting at his desk when Sam walked in at around 1 a.m. He gave Bobby a tired lopsided smile and wave as he set his bag down. "Hey, Bobby-couldn't sleep?"

"Just thought I'd wait till you got in."

"How's Dean?" Sam sat on the couch, yawning.

"He's coming along okay. Bethany practically sewed you a new brother. I'm sure he'll show you tomorrow."

"Is Beth okay?"

"Hope so." Bobby looked at Sam. "She's in there with your brother." He nodded toward the door to what was normally his bedroom as Sam's eyebrows shot up. "Told me she was staying with him, and I could have her bed."

"Really...Well, okay."

"I guess she's a big girl. And we can beat him bloody if he doesn't treat her right," Bobby said, only half joking.

"Once he's healthy, you mean." Sam grinned at the older man, who looked back at him with feigned seriousness.

"Of course."


	9. Chapter 9

Dean opened his eyes the next morning, looking down at Beth's sleeping face. He reached a finger to brush a few strands of hair from her cheek and smiled, holding her close as she slept. He hadn't felt this contented in a long, long while. She sighed as he watched her, rolling her head back as her eyes fluttered open slowly. "Hey, Coop," he said softly.

She smiled at him, still not fully awake. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

He stared into her brown eyes, and her pulse sped up a little. "Like having you for breakfast," he said, pulling her in close as he kissed her.

She smiled playfully as they parted, touching his face gently. "What makes you think I'm on the menu?" His lips curved in a smirk, and she laughed quietly. "I know, animal magnetism. But I think you need to build up your strength before you're ready for a real meal, Winchester." She raised up on one elbow, lowering her face to hover just above his, a gently teasing smile on her lips. "I guess it doesn't hurt to nibble just a little though..." she whispered as she kissed him softly. Then she sat up and stretched. "I suppose we have to get up sometime. Do you want the bathroom first?"

He smiled at her, his fingertips caressing her arm. "Go ahead."

Beth grabbed her bag and headed into the bathroom, and Dean heard the shower start. He closed his eyes, letting himself relive the last few moments again in his mind. This-this was nice. This was home. He smiled, staring up at the ceiling.

* * *

Beth walked into the kitchen, focused on getting coffee, and smiled with surprise as she saw Sam at the table. "Sam! When did you get back?"

He leaned back in his chair to accept her welcoming hug, smiling back at her as he answered, "Late last night. How's Dean doing?"

"Definitely getting better." She filled a cup and sat down across from Sam at the table.

Sam shook his head, an amused smirk on his face. "Yeah, I'll bet. So you guys are...okay?"

Beth took a deep breath, looking seriously into Sam's hazel eyes. "For now, anyway. We'll have to take it a day at a time, Sam. I don't know how things will go once he's healed and back to normal. I'm a little afraid of that." She stared into her coffee cup. "I guess we'll see."

"Where is he, anyway?"

"He wanted a shower. It's pretty exhausting for him right now, but he's getting better. He should be out soon." She looked up, smiling, as she heard the bedroom door. "Speak of the devil..."

Dean came walking slowly into the kitchen, wearing pants but carrying a t-shirt in his hand. "What do you think, Coop-do we have to put those bandages back on?" Sam's eyes widened as he saw the stitched wounds on his brother's chest and stomach.

"Holy crap, Dean!"

"Yeah, I know, Sammy-look at this one," he said, dropping his pants to show the healing cut on his leg.

"How did you not bleed out?" Sam asked incredulously as Dean pulled his pants back into place. "Dean, seriously-no more solo hunting trips. We should have backup."

Dean was nodding at his brother when Beth spoke. "Or at least someone along who can take care of injuries, maybe?" Both men stared back at her.

"You are not coming on hunting trips," Dean said flatly, and sparks ignited in Beth's eyes as she stood to face him, arms folded across her chest defiantly.

"You are not telling me what I can and can't do."

"Sounds like I am." They were glaring into each other's eyes angrily, and Sam stood up, clearing his throat loudly.

"Knock it off, you two! Can you go five minutes without killing each other, please?"

Beth dropped her gaze to the floor, biting at her lip. "Sorry-someone giving me orders-it just sets me off."

"Look, I didn't mean to...I just want you safe, Beth." Dean reached a hand to her face, gently forcing her to look at him. "What would have happened if you were with me this time? I almost didn't make it-you wouldn't have had a chance, Coop."

She nodded hesitantly. "I know. I just-it took so long for me to get there, it was almost too late." She stared into his troubled green eyes. "I still don't think you realize how close you were, Dean."

"I know, believe me-I know." He swayed a little, and Beth took a step back.

"You need to sit down," she said quietly, pulling a chair out for him. He took a seat and she brought him coffee, sitting next to him. Sam sat down again, looking across the table at Beth.

"Beth, you know how dangerous this job is. We don't want anything happening to you. And Dean is just naturally bossy, he's been doing it our whole lives. It's because he cares about you. He does the same thing to me."

Beth met his gaze and nodded. "I know, Sam." She looked over at Dean's chest, then glanced at Sam again. "What do you think, can we leave the stitches uncovered? They're looking pretty good."

Sam nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think so."

Dean pulled his shirt over his head, wincing a little, and Beth helped him with the arms. "Thanks."

"Let me look at your face, okay?" she asked softly. He turned slightly and she gently ran her fingers along the almost-healed cut on his cheek."I can take these butterflies off, if you want. It's healed really well."

Dean nodded, and she was just finishing up when Bobby walked in. "Well, you look like you might live."

"Yeah, if I could get my strength back, I'd be good."

"It'll come-you're doing way better than a couple of days ago," Beth said, rising to throw away the bandage strips and grab the coffee pot.

"Well, a few days off won't hurt any of you-and I could use a hand around here for a change," Bobby said, heading into the next room.

* * *

Beth watched with concern that night as Dean sat at the foot of her bed. He had insisted that he could make it up the stairs, and it had taken every ounce of his determination to do it. "Are you all right?" she asked as he rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Yeah. That was a little harder than I expected. But I thought Bobby should have his room back."

"Well, you made it, and it'll get easier every day, I'm sure." She stood there, feeling a little awkward, for a moment. "Dean-you don't have to stay here. I mean, unless you want to."

He looked up at her. "You don't want me to stay?" he asked softly.

She came and sat next to him on the bed. "Oh, I want you to stay. But I need you to make sure you really want to be here, Dean. I don't know if I can take a repeat of the last few weeks." She felt his hand on her knee, and looked over into his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Beth. I just..." He looked down, chewing at the inside of his lip, then raised his eyes again, and her heart ached at the raw emotion she saw there. "Not much scares me, Beth. But this-it scares me, you know?"

"I know, Dean. It scares me too. But you can be so scared of losing something that you just never let yourself have anything to lose. You have to let yourself be happy." She kissed his cheek and stood up. "Let's get you into bed, okay? You look wiped out."

Once he was settled in bed, Beth shut off the light and changed, climbing in beside him. He lifted his arm, whispering, "Come here, Coop," and she snuggled close to him. He kissed the top of her head and brought his other arm around her, holding her as he drifted off to sleep. She lay awake a little longer, savoring the feeling of lying in his arms. When he was better-nights like this would be few and far between. She sighed, closing her eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

A couple of weeks later, Beth walked out to the body shop. There was an old weight bench in the corner, and Sam was spotting his brother as he did some bench presses. Beth stood and watched from the door for a moment, smiling at his progress.

"Not bad, Winchester," she said as he lowered the bar and sat up, grinning.

"That felt good," he said. "I'm finally getting back to normal, I think."

"Whatever that means," Sam teased, ducking away as his brother took a mock swing at him.

"How's the leg?" she asked, and Dean shrugged.

"It's doing okay. But my coach," he said, gesturing towards Sam, "says I should run, build up my strength a little." He headed towards her, putting a hand on her waist and kissing her softly as he looked down at her. "Want to chase me?"

Beth smiled mischievously back at him. "I'd love to, but I already started supper. It'll be ready in about half an hour."

"Okay." He bent to kiss her again. "I'll be back in a little bit." He jogged slowly down the drive, then picked up the pace as he turned onto the road. Beth watched, feeling a little sad as he went out of sight. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into Sam's understanding eyes.

"He's doing really well, Beth. Don't worry."

"I know. Which means you guys will be getting back to hunting soon." Sam put an arm around her shoulders as they walked back towards the house.

"You know, I think having you to come home to might make him a little less reckless, Beth." Sam stopped, turning to face her with his hands on her shoulders as she looked up at him. "He's got a little more to look forward to now." Sam's lips curved in a teasing smile, and Beth blushed a little.

"Don't know about that. There hasn't been any 'more' going on. Nothing but me sleeping in his arms."

Sam looked shocked, shaking his head as Beth gazed at the ground in embarrassment. "You're kidding. My brother. He hasn't...Dean hasn't even tried...I mean..."

Beth was shaking her head. "No. He kisses me, and he's made comments, and I think he wants to, but he hasn't tried-at all."

"Seriously?" Sam's eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Maybe he doesn't feel that way about me." Beth couldn't look at Sam as she expressed her most secret fear aloud, her cheeks flushing with the shame she was feeling at her own words. Sam's hands gripped her shoulders more firmly, and she looked up at him, surprised.

"Beth-I know my brother better than anybody. Trust me when I say, he does feel that way about you." Her eyes were still clouded with doubt as she looked into Sam's earnest hazel eyes. "I mean it, Beth. He's crazy about you. Apparently you're very special to him, because the old Dean would have nailed you in a heartbeat." He closed his eyes for a second, smiling ruefully. "Sorry, that was a little crude, but you know what I mean. Beth, you must mean a lot to him."

"Do you really think so, Sam?"

He draped his arm around her again as they walked to the house. "I know so, Beth. Trust me."

* * *

Shortly after Dean got back to the house and headed for the shower, Bobby pulled into the yard, followed closely by Jody's Sheriff's Department Tahoe. She trailed Bobby into the house, flashing Beth a quick smile as they walked through the kitchen. As Sam and Beth joined them in the living room, Bobby was digging through his desk, intent on finding something.

"Bethany-have you seen the map I left laying here?" He was opening drawers and rifling through them as he asked.

"Bobby-the maps are on the bookshelf in that wooden tray-remember? I showed you yesterday."

The older man stopped, then nodded. "Oh, yeah." He grabbed the map and opened it, spreading it out over the desktop.

"What's up, Bobby?" Sam asked, a concerned frown creasing his brow.

"Jody has some info that might mean a job, Sam. Sounds like it might be a vamp nest."

"Where, Bobby?" Dean's voice came from the doorway. Beth went to stand near him, and he reached an arm to draw her close to his side.  
Bobby's eyes went to Beth's face, and he seemed reluctant to speak. Her eyes widened and she spoke softly, her voice shaking a little.

"Bobby, where are they?"

"Powell, Wyoming."

Dean's arm tightened around Beth as her knees buckled a little. "Are you sure? Bobby, are you sure?" She looked up at Dean, panic in her eyes. "That's just down the road from Lovell, Dean. My Mom..."

Bobby spoke again, quietly. "We're sure, Bethany. But don't worry-the boys will take care of it."

"I know, Bobby-but I have to go home." Dean's mouth came open, but Beth stopped him. "No, Dean. I have to be with my Mom." Her eyes pleaded with him. "Please, Dean." She put her hand on his face as he clenched his jaw, battling within himself. "I promise, if I see anything, we'll leave and I'll call you right away. Please."

Dean closed his eyes in frustration. "Damn it, Beth." He looked first at Bobby, then at Sam, before reluctantly answering her. "If I take you there-you have to promise me that you'll get the hell out of there at the first sign of trouble. If you even think someone might be a vamp, I want you and your family out of there." His hands gripped her shoulders, and she looked up into his eyes. "Promise me, Beth."

She nodded, a tear making its way down her cheek, and he dropped his hands to his sides, angry at himself for giving in. "Thank you," she whispered.

Within an hour their group was packed and ready to hit the road. Sam offered to ride with Bobby in the Mustang, and Beth was with Dean in the Impala. They would sleep in shifts, trading off so Dean and Bobby could get some rest before reaching Powell. Beth smiled as Jody kissed Bobby on the cheek, then climbed into the Tahoe and left the property. Dean pulled out first, closely followed by Bobby as they headed west together.

They had traveled several miles when Dean looked over at Beth, who was staring blindly out the window. "You need to get some sleep, Coop," he said softly.

Worry filled her eyes as she turned her head to answer him. "I know-I'll try." She shoved her makeshift pillow under her head and pulled her sweatshirt tighter around her as she closed her eyes.

* * *

Beth pulled into her mother's driveway shortly after 6 a.m. She turned off the engine and sat there silently, staring straight ahead, her hands still on the steering wheel. Dean had wakened when the car came to a stop, and he watched her for a moment before speaking quietly to her. "Coop? You all right?"

She dropped her hands to her lap, looking down at them for a few seconds before turning her gaze to his. "I'll be okay." Then she looked away again, grabbing the door handle and climbing out of the Impala. She was opening the back door, reaching for her bag when Dean came up behind her, pushing the door shut. She stood still, her back to Dean, not wanting to turn around and face him. She didn't want him to see the fear in her eyes, didn't want him worrying about her when he had something so dangerous to contend with. "I'm fine, Dean, I promise."

"Then why won't you look at me?" She hung her head momentarily, and he took her gently by the shoulders, turning her around and looking down into her brown eyes. "Don't lie to me, Beth. You've always said what's on your mind, don't stop now." She stared back at him, finally nodding.

"You're right-I'm sorry. Just promise me you won't be worrying about me. You need to focus on what you're dealing with, Dean. Just tell me what to look out for, tell me what to do, and we'll be okay."

His green eyes burned into hers for a moment, then he bent his head to kiss her. "I will take care of them, and you will be okay-I promise you that, Coop."

He carried her bag into the house for her, then sat down at the kitchen table and ran her through the vampire basics: aversion to sunlight and bright lights, dead man's blood, death by decapitation. He went to the trunk of the Impala and brought back a machete, honed to a lethal edge, and a syringe filled with dead man's blood. "This is only for emergencies-if you get trapped and there's no way out. If you spot any of these sons of bitches, I want you hiding, not fighting, got it? You call us, get your mom and Rick, and run. Careful at the bar, they love places like that."

Beth walked Dean out to the car, listening as he continued. "Tell your Mom what's going on, she should have an idea what to look out for, too. I'll keep in touch as much as I can-just make sure you call one of us if you think there's anything strange going on." He grabbed her into a tight embrace and held her silently for a few seconds. "I didn't want you in the middle of this," he said, his voice quiet.

Beth put a hand softly on his face, then slid it behind his neck, running her fingers through the short-cropped hair at his nape. She reached up and kissed him, her lashes wet with the tears she was determinedly holding back. "I know," she whispered, and he kissed her again with all the desperation he was feeling. Then he stepped back, climbing behind the wheel of the Impala, and starting the engine.

"You be careful, you hear me?" he said again, and she nodded.

"You, too."

In the shadows of the trees in the vacant lot next door, a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt pulled a cell phone from his pocket and made a call as the Impala backed out of the driveway and Beth walked back into the house. "Kate? Yeah-the Winchesters are in the area, in Lovell. And I have good news for you. I think we have the perfect way to pay them back for killing your Luther."

* * *

That night the guys entered their motel room in Powell, all feeling a little uneasy about the job. "Something's off here, Dean." Sam dropped into a chair, taking a swig of his beer as Bobby nodded in agreement. "Body's are dropping around town here, but none of the local's have seen any strangers around? They're traveling here to feed, and then leaving? Since when is that normal? They like to set up their nest near their food supply."

Dean nodded in agreement with his brother, his brows drawn together in a frown. "I know, Sam. What's going on here, anyway?" He paced to the window, pulling back the curtain and peering out at nothing. He turned, looking first to Bobby, then to Sam. "I think we're being played. I don't know who, or why, but that's what this feels like."

Bobby nodded, his mouth pressed into a hard line. "I trust your instincts, boys. It feels off to me, too."

"So what's our next move?" Dean said, grabbing his cell phone from his pocket as it rang. "Beth?"

Her voice sounded hushed on the other end. "Dean? I think we've got some customers here that you should check out."

"How many?"

"Six."

"Get out of there, Beth, and don't let them know you're onto them. Just quietly leave, one at a time. We're on the way." Dean hung up, turning towards the door. "They're in Lovell, at the bar. Let's move."

* * *

Beth stood behind the bar, keeping her hands busy as she kept an eye on the rowdy group at the tables near the pool table. Her mother had tried to argue with her, but one look at her daughter's face had stopped her. She had quietly left out the back door a few minutes earlier, and Rick had been close behind. The woman who was seemingly in charge of the group had requested two bottles of whiskey when they came in, and they hadn't been back to order anything else, so Beth was hoping they wouldn't notice when she headed for the back room.

She picked up a box and walked that direction, glancing quickly over at the group. There was a game of pool going on, and one of the girls was dancing alone near the jukebox, the others talking and laughing loudly as they downed shot after shot. She stepped into the storage room, then grabbed a bag of trash and headed for the back door. She was halfway to the dumpster when the sultry voice of their leader startled her.

"Where you going, Beth?"

Beth recovered her composure quickly, turning to smile at the woman. "Just taking out the trash," she answered, smiling back at her. "You really shouldn't be carrying your drink outside, you know."

"Oh, there are a lot of things I really shouldn't do, but-I don't really like to color inside the lines." She waited as Beth headed back towards the bar. "My name is Kate, by the way. I did hear one of the others call you Beth, right?"

Beth gave her a tight little smile. "Yes, that's right."

"Why don't you come in for a drink, Beth?" Kate's voice was friendly, bordering on seductive, and Beth fought a shiver.

"Sorry, against the rules to drink with the customers."

Kate raised her chin, a chilling smile sliding onto her face, her eyes glowing. "Not exactly what I meant, sweetheart."

Beth felt a vise-like grip on her arm, and stared back at the woman, knowing the pretense was over. "There are people coming for you, you know," she said, staring defiantly into the vampire's glowing amber eyes.

Kate came close to her, touching her hair and bending to breathe deeply of her scent before speaking quietly into her ear. "I'm counting on it."

She stepped back abruptly, gesturing towards the door. "Get her inside." The man holding her prisoner shoved her roughly through the door, and she prayed for Dean to get there quickly.

* * *

Dean parked the Impala a couple of blocks away, and the men quickly covered the distance to the bar on foot. Sam flattened himself against the near wall, leaning to peer carefully into the dimly lit bar. He drew quickly back against the wall again, squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth, taking a quick breath before moving to join his brother in the front of the building. "Dean-they have Beth tied to a chair. And we've seen their leader before-remember, the vamp nest we raided with Dad? The guy he killed with the Colt? She was his mate."

"The bitch we poisoned with dead man's blood?" Dean cursed violently under his breath. "So this was a set-up. She was after us." He looked at Bobby, fighting to stay calm. "You have the Colt?" Bobby nodded silently.

"How many?"

"Six," Sam said quietly.

"Okay, boys, two apiece, don't be greedy," Dean said, his voice betraying his false bravado. "Let's do this."

Dean kicked the door open, his machete ready in his hand. "Hey, bartender-how about you get behind the bar and serve some thirsty customers?" He looked at Beth, who was putting on a brave face for the vampire holding her captive.

"I'd love to-but I guess these guys just love my company. If you can talk them into letting me leave for a minute, I'd be glad to make you a drink."

"Oh, aren't you two just the cutest things!" Kate said, her voice like velvet but laced with hatred. She stared at Dean, her eyes glowing unnaturally. "Dean and Sam Winchester. I'm only sorry that your Daddy's already dead. Now I just have to take revenge on what's left of your family."

"Fine. Let's go. But she has nothing to do with it, so let her out of here and we can get down to business," Dean said flatly. Kate threw back her head and let out a musical laugh.

"Oh, Dean-she's a very important part of this. You see, I've been watching you. I know how much you care about her," she purred, walking behind Beth and playing with her hair as Beth tried to pull away, disgust distorting her face. Kate stopped being playful and grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her head back and exposing her neck. Two of the male vamps nearby began showing fangs, and Dean's lip curled in a snarl.

"If you hurt her, it will be the last thing you ever do, you undead bitch."

Kate looked at him, her eyebrows arched as if in surprise. "Hurt her? Oh, no, Dean, you misunderstand. I would never hurt her. You'll be the one doing that." Before he could move, Kate bit deep into her own wrist, then pulled Beth's head back sharply. When she cried out, Kate positioned her bleeding arm over Beth's mouth. Beth fought violently, but blood ran in rivulets onto her face and into her mouth as she gagged and choked, crying.

"No!" Dean screamed as he ran towards the vampires, swinging the machete in a deadly arc and beheading two of the males in a single sweep. Bobby fired the Colt, taking down a female, and Sam took out another male with his blade. Bobby shot the remaining male, which left Kate, who still stood holding Beth's hair.

Dean stood with his machete raised, hate distorting his features. Kate let go of Beth, turning to face him defiantly. "Go ahead, you bastard. You already took my life when your father killed Luther. But now you'll lose what you love too. At least Luther has been avenged." Without further warning, Dean swung his blade, and Kate's head landed a short distance away, rolling back and forth for a second before her body lurched forward onto the floor.

Dean was kneeling on the floor in front of Beth, untying her from the chair as he yelled to his brother. "Sam-get something from behind the bar-we need her blood for the cure. Hurry!" He freed Beth and held her limp body close for a moment, then rose and lifted her into his arms.

"Bobby, do we have the rest of the ingredients?"

Bobby shook his head, his face the picture of frustration. "No-but I know where I can get 'em. Let's take her to the house. I'll go get what we need, just make sure she stays put until I get there. If she feeds, we can't save her."

Sam gave the blood to Bobby and took off at a run to bring the Impala. Dean took a napkin from a nearby table, wiping the blood off Beth's face. He threw the bloodied napkin to the floor with disgust, and headed for the door when he heard the car pull up outside. They drove to the house, and Bobby took off with the car to get the remaining ingredients needed for the cure. Beth's sobbing mother directed Dean to Beth's bedroom, and he carried her upstairs, laying her on the bed. She was groggy and weak, disoriented-and Dean remembered the feeling well. It was like being on a bad acid trip, everything distorted and amplified-the sounds, the lights, the sights. He turned off the light in Beth's room and sat next to the bed, holding her hand and hoping Bobby could find what they needed to help her. He also remembered taking the cure, the excruciating pain it caused as the vampire virus was destroyed. And now Beth would have to go through that torture. "Hang on, Coop, we're gonna fix this," he said softly, and she squeezed his hand a little in response. She turned her head towards him, her eyes unfocused.

"I can hear your heart," she whispered.

"I know." He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, fighting for control. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." When he didn't answer, she spoke again. "Dean-not your fault, you hear me?"

"I hear you."

It seemed like an eternity before Bobby came bursting in the door, a pint jar containing a thick red liquid in his hand. "Okay, Bethany-you need to drink this. It's not gonna be pleasant, girl, I'm sorry. Wish there was another way."

Beth sat up with Dean's help, and nodded. "It's okay, Bobby. Better than the alternative, right?" She took the jar from Bobby's hand and drank, Dean's hand supporting her back, and then laid back on the bed. Bobby came closer, putting a hand on Dean's shoulder.

"Okay, son, I've got this. You go with Sam, clean up that mess at the bar before someone finds it."

"I'm staying, Bobby."

"No. You're not. Sam? Little help here." Bobby's voice was unyielding, and Sam came to his brother's side as Bobby stepped back.

"Dean, let's go. Come on. Bobby will take care of Beth. You don't need to see this." Dean reluctantly stood, looking down at Beth one last time.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice breaking as he turned and left the room. Sam looked at Bobby, who patted his back once and followed him to the door.

"She'll be okay, Sam. I'll be with her till it's over." Sam nodded, glancing at the bed, and left. Bobby closed the door behind him and went to Beth's bedside, pulling the chair closer and taking her hand. Her breathing was becoming harsher, and Bobby tightened his grip on her hand, speaking softly. "I'm here, Bethany. I won't leave you. You'll be okay, I promise."

Downstairs, Dean was just reaching for the front door when a mind-numbing scream echoed from upstairs. He turned, trying to head that direction, but Sam stopped him, gripping his arm with all his strength. "No, Dean-just go. Now." He shoved his brother back towards the door, and he jerked it open, stumbling outside. "You should come with us," Sam said softly to Beth's mother, who was crying in her husband's arms. She shook her head, refusing, and Sam nodded, walking out to join Dean and closing the door quietly behind him.

Dean drove to the bar in silence, hitting the brakes hard as he pulled up to the building. He had his gun out before he hit the door, and Sam scrambled to catch up to his brother. Before he could reach him, he had fired five bullets into Kate's dead body, shaking with rage. Sam walked up behind him carefully, putting one hand on Dean's shoulder and the other on the gun. "That's enough, Dean," he said quietly, then slowly pried the ivory-handled Colt from his brother's fingers, putting it into his own pocket. "She'll be okay, Dean-Bobby's taking good care of her." Dean was motionless for a moment, then nodded. "I'll go get the shovels."

"No." Dean still stood over Kate's body, staring down at it with loathing. "These sons of bitches burn, Sammy."

* * *

It was a few hours later when Sam and Dean pulled back into the driveway at the house. Beth's mother and Rick were asleep on the couch, and Dean headed straight for the stairs. He opened the door to Beth's room; Bobby looked up from her bedside, his eyes bloodshot and his face pale. "Bobby? Are you all right? Is Beth..."

"She'll be all right, son. I think the worst is over."

"You look like hell, Bobby." Dean put a hand on the older man's shoulder. "Go get some rest-I'll stay with her."

Bobby rose slowly from his chair. "She's sleeping right now." He looked into Dean's eyes, fighting for a moment to regain control. "She's been through hell, boy."

Dean nodded, and Bobby walked slowly to the door. "Thank you, Bobby." Bobby glanced back, nodding in acknowledgment, and stepped out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him. Dean took off his jacket and boots, then climbed onto the bed, laying down beside Beth and putting an arm over her, pulling her close. "I'm here, Coop," he whispered, then fell into an exhausted sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Dean watched silently as Beth walked out the patio door, sliding it closed behind her. He looked up to meet Sam's concerned gaze, one he was sure matched the look on his own face. Beth hadn't eaten in two days, and had hardly spoken a word to anyone since she woke up the morning after she had taken the cure. Dean took a deep breath and rose from his seat, walking to look out the sliding glass door at Beth, who was sitting on the top step of the deck, leaning back on her arms and looking up at the sky.

She didn't move as he walked out onto the deck, lowering himself down to sit beside her. He swallowed hard, hanging his head, not sure what to say or how to begin. They had done this to her to get back at his family, and he could feel guilt eating at him.

"I'm fine, Dean." Beth's voice was hushed, and she continued staring at the sky as Dean lifted his gaze to look at her.

"You're lying to me again, Beth." His voice was gentle, but his words hit home, and she sat up straight, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees, her face in her hands. When she raised her head and looked full into his eyes, there was fear there, and something else that sent heat through his veins. There was a hunger in her brown eyes; and then shame, as she dropped her gaze.

"I don't know if I can tell you how I feel, Dean. I don't know if you'd understand. I don't know if anyone would understand."

"I would, Coop."

She looked at him in disbelief. "How could you possibly..." She stopped, her eyes widening as she stared back at him. "You...?"

He nodded, looking away. "Yeah, I was turned."

"So you-you were feeling...Did you feel like you had no self-control?" Beth's cheeks were flushed and she looked steadily at her feet.

"Yeah. And I came very close to hurting someone I cared about. I'll never forget how that felt." He looked over at her again and she met his eyes for a moment. "So I do understand, Beth. I know exactly how you feel."

She was staring at the ground again, and was quiet for a few seconds before she continued, her voice breathless. "Before Bobby got back with the cure-all I could think about was you sitting there next to me...and how I wanted to..." Dean turned to her, his hands reaching to frame her face as he bent to touch his lips to hers. Her response was like a flash fire, fast and hot and all-consuming; and then, just as suddenly, she was gone, and Dean was left sitting on the stairs, breathing hard and fighting to form a coherent thought. Beth was in the middle of the yard, her arms wrapped around herself, crying quietly.

Dean walked up behind her, sliding his arms around her and holding onto her silently. After a few moments, she turned into his embrace, clinging to him, her face buried in his chest. "I'm scared, Dean."

"I know." He held her tight, kissing the top of her head before he continued. "The virus screws with your inhibitions; vamps aren't well-known for their self-control." He ran his fingers through her hair, as he spoke again. "It's only been a couple of days. It fades with time, I promise."

She drew back from him a little, wiping tears from her face and looking up at him. "Are you sure? Because I feel totally out of control. Why do you think I've been steering clear of everyone, especially you?"

"I'm sure." He leaned in to kiss her forehead, wiping a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb. "But if you want to let your wild side free," he murmured, his voice sending a shiver up her spine, "I'm more than willing." He kissed her again, his lips soft but demanding, and she let her arms go around his neck, pulling him in closer. She could feel his hand on the small of her back, pressing her tighter against him, and his other hand was at her neck, buried in her hair as she kissed him back with abandon.

"Hey, guys," Sam's cheerful voice interrupted them, and they stopped, Beth hiding her face in Dean's shoulder. "Sorry, but do you think Mom and Dad's back yard is the best place for this?"

Beth turned her head to look at Sam, her eyes wide. "Please tell me they weren't watching!"

"No, but it was close. So I thought maybe I should-uh-break this up." His eyebrows raised as he grinned at Beth. "Hated to-looked like you two were having a good time."

Beth ducked her head again, then met Sam's gaze with an embarrassed smile. "Thanks-I guess." She stepped back from Dean, looking down at the ground and taking a deep breath. When she looked up, Dean was staring back, the glow still in his eyes, and he reached for her hand.  
"I suppose we should go in," he said, and she took his hand with a smile, almost catching her breath at the contact. Okay, this might not be such a bad thing-but not here. It was definitely time to think about heading home. She smiled to herself, and Sam looked at her, curiosity on his face.

"What's that little smile about?" he asked, teasing, and she looked up at him, her eyes dancing.

"I was just thinking that it was time to go home-and I meant to Sioux Falls." Dean put an arm around her shoulders as they went up the steps of the deck.

"Yeah, well, like it or not, I think you're part of our dysfunctional little group now," he said softly, as they reached the door.

"Hey-I happen to think we're pretty damn functional," she argued, and Sam chuckled as they entered the house and Beth headed for the kitchen. "Hey, Mom-is there any of that ham left from yesterday? I'm starving."

* * *

The next morning after a quick breakfast and loading the cars, they prepared to leave. Beth reached up to kiss Rick on the cheek, then grabbed her mother in a fierce hug. "I love you, Mom," she said, trying not to cry as she looked into her mother's tear-filled eyes.

"I love you, Beth-you be careful."

Dean stepped up to hug her next. "Linda-thanks for everything." He stepped back to shake Rick's hand next, and Linda put a hand on his arm.

"You take good care of my girl, you hear me?"

Dean smiled and nodded. "I will-we will." Linda smiled through her tears, and Dean impulsively leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Don't worry, mama."

Linda stayed him with a hand on his forearm. "And Dean-don't you hurt her."

Dean met her direct gaze with his own. "No, ma'am."

They climbed into their vehicles and Dean fired up the Impala. As they pulled out of the driveway, he glanced over at Beth, who was sighing contentedly. "Well, Coop-I talked to Sam and Bobby, and it's up to you, but-I thought maybe you and I could head up to the cabin in Montana for a couple of days." Beth looked at him in surprise. "Well-what do you think?" Suddenly, he was unsure of her reaction, and he waited for her answer, almost holding his breath.

A slow smile spread across her face, and her eyes were warm as she answered. "I think we're going to Montana."

Dean grinned in relief, and nodded. "All right then." He stuck the AC/DC cassette into the deck and turned up the volume. "Montana it is." He pulled onto the highway, both of them singing 'Back in Black' at the top of their lungs as the Impala picked up speed.

* * *

Beth stood at the window, watching the sunrise light up the eastern sky with pink and coral hues. She cupped her mug of coffee in her hands, hugging her arms close to her sides, smiling at the sensation of Dean's soft flannel shirt against her skin, and the scent of him that still clung to it. She tilted her head as she breathed deeply-hints of his cologne, whiskey, leather, and...gun oil? She wasn't sure, but it smelled like Dean, and she sighed happily. She was getting chilly though, so she headed for the couch and tucked the blanket around her bare legs and feet, curling them underneath her and leaning on the arm of the couch. She glanced up at the door, and her gaze lingered there for a moment, reliving two nights ago when they had arrived at the cabin. She had barely set down her bag and swung the door closed when Dean had pinned her up against it; she suppressed a shiver at the memory. That first time had been intense, fierce, their need for each other almost desperate, and they hadn't even made it to the bedroom. In fact, they had barely made it to the couch. And afterwards, the slow, gentle kisses and his fingertips tracing patterns on her back and down her arms as he held her close...Beth sighed again at the memory, laying her head back and closing her eyes. He had apologized then, worried that he had been too rough, and she smiled, remembering how she had run her finger softly over his lips and told him that he was the one with scratches on his back, that he had nothing to be sorry for.

She felt a presence behind her, and Dean's hands on her shoulders, and she opened her eyes to meet his green-eyed gaze. "Hey, Coop." He leaned over for an upside-down kiss. "That shirt looks good on you," he whispered, his fingers slipping inside to trace her collarbone.

Beth smiled softly, reaching a hand up to cover his. "Sorry-it was the first thing I found this morning, and I didn't want to wake you. Besides-it smells like you."

"I don't mind, believe me." His hand slipped a little further down, and Beth caught her breath. He leaned over her, his lips nuzzling her ear as he spoke. "I don't mind at all." He kissed her neck, and then they both jumped as her mug hit the floor, breaking into pieces and splattering coffee everywhere. Beth climbed off the couch, shedding the coffee-soaked blanket, and Dean took her hand, pulling her away from the mess. "Careful, Coop, there's glass everywhere." He looked down into her eyes, concern on his face. "You didn't cut yourself, did you?"

Beth shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Just clumsy. Your fault," she said, tracing the scar on his chest with a fingertip as she smiled up at him.

He smirked, pulling her close and bending to kiss her. "How about we clean this up a little later?" he murmured, his fingers deftly undoing buttons.

"Good idea," she sighed as the borrowed shirt hit the floor at her feet.


	12. Chapter 12

Beth looked up from the book she was searching, her head tilted a little, listening. A slow smile curved her lips as she heard the Impala draw closer, then pull into the drive. The guys had been gone for a few days, and she was anxious to see them both. She laid the book on Bobby's desk and walked quickly to the door, flinging it open and running towards the car.

Sam grinned at her as he climbed out, and her smile faded. "Sam! Look at you!" She went quickly to his side, frowning as she reached up to touch his bruised face. He bent down and kissed her forehead, putting an arm around her shoulders as he walked her back to the driver's side of the car.

"Worry about him, Beth-I'm fine." Dean's door opened a little more slowly, and she closed her eyes for a moment, her jaw clenched. He had one arm in a makeshift sling, was limping and was covered in bruises. There was a huge slash cut into his blood-stained coat, and Beth put her arms around him carefully.

"What the hell happened?" she asked gently, kissing him softly. "You two look like you've been through a meat grinder. Sam, do you have other injuries that I can't see?"

Sam looked rueful. "Yeah, a couple. You can check me over inside, Mom."

"Bite me, Sam," she sassed back at him, helping Dean to the house. Once she had him settled on the couch, she turned to Sam, her hands on her hips, her eyebrows raised. "All right, smart-ass, let's see."

Sam looked at her stubbornly. "Beth, I'm fine. Just see to Dean."

Beth folded her arms across her chest and spoke his name, a warning in her eyes. "Sam..." He rolled his eyes and sighed, pulling off his long-sleeved shirt and then yanking his t-shirt off over his head, wincing in pain as he did so. "Oh, Sammy-broken ribs?"

"Broken or cracked, I'm not sure." He turned around, revealing a quickly-bandaged wound on his back. "Ok, Beth-that's everything. I promise."

Beth carefully removed the gauze. "That needs stitches, Sam."

He turned back to face her, nodding resignedly. "I'll go get the med kit-you'd better look him over," he said, nodding towards his brother.

Dean sat up straight as Beth helped him out of his jacket and shirts. "What was it, Dean?" she asked softly as she carefully removed a makeshift bandage from his side.

"Friggin' shifters-two of 'em. We thought we were up against one. Kind of took us by surprise." He sucked his breath in sharply as Beth touched the area around the gash, apologizing as she touched his banged-up face.

"And you dislocated your shoulder again?" He nodded, and she stood up, bending to kiss his forehead. "I'll get you some ice. Sam's back needs stitched worse than you do, so I'll take care of him first."

Sam straddled a kitchen chair, and she cleaned and stitched his wound as they told her about their latest hunt. Once he was bandaged, and his ribs taped up, she helped him pull a clean t-shirt over his head. He hugged her affectionately, then ruffled her hair, sparking a protest. "Thanks, Beth. Sorry I was so grumpy-I guess I need some sleep." She smiled at him, sweeping her hair back out of her face, and stood on tiptoe to reach his cheek for a kiss.

"It's okay, Sam. Go take a nap, I'll wake you up for some supper later." He nodded and headed slowly up the stairs. She turned to Dean. "Next."

He gave her a lopsided grin. "Okay, doc. Do your worst." He took a shot of whiskey out of the bottle sitting on the coffee table, then gingerly laid down on his side to allow Beth better access to his injury. "Where's Bobby?"

"Went to town a little while ago," she answered, focused on the stitches she was putting into Dean's side. He flinched a little, and she stopped, bending to kiss him softly. "Sorry, baby." She finished up and taped the bandage in place, then stood, gathering her supplies. "I'll get you some aspirin," she said, heading for the bathroom, but when she returned, he was asleep, his arm hanging off the side of the couch. She smiled down at him, placing his arm across his stomach and covering him with a throw. Then she headed to the kitchen to put together a home-cooked meal for the guys.

Bobby came walking in a while later, and Beth caught him at the door, holding a finger up to her lips as she pointed to the living room. Bobby looked in through the door, then came back to sit at the table where she sat peeling potatoes. "They both okay?" he asked, looking over at her.

She met his eyes, shrugging as she smiled. "More stitches, and they're both pretty banged up. Sam has some nasty-looking ribs this time. They said it was shifters, thought they were dealing with one but there were two."

"If it weren't for bad luck..."

"They'd have none at all, I know."

Bobby got up to head for the coffee pot, patting her shoulder on the way by. "I think they've got some luck-they have you, don't they?"

Beth smiled, shaking her head; then looked up as Dean's voice sounded from the doorway. "Luckiest thing that's ever happened to me." She blushed as she met his eyes.

"You got that right, boy." Bobby walked towards the living room but stopped for a moment, putting a hand on Dean's shoulder. "You all right?"  
Dean answered with a crooked grin. "Yeah, I'm all right, Bobby." He pulled out a chair and sat down across from Beth as she finished with her task. "Hey, Coop." He reached across to take her hand, and she smiled at him.

"I brought you some aspirin, but you conked out on me," she said softly. "How's your pain?"

He shrugged, wincing a little. "Not bad."

Beth gazed back at him, concern on her face. "You know, that shoulder's going to need surgery one of these days, if this keeps happening. I wish..."

"I know, Beth. But this is what I do. That's the way it is. I'm just glad you're here when I get home."

She looked down, blinking hard. "So am I." She met his gaze, her eyes still shining with unshed tears. "I'm just always afraid of what shape you'll be in when you make it here. My Mom said it takes a strong woman to love a hunter-I just hope I'm strong enough."

Dean's brows drew together as he stared silently back at her, quiet surprise in his eyes. After a moment, he found his voice. "Did-you just say you-loved me?" he asked softly. Beth felt her face grow warm again, and she was speechless for a moment.

"That kind of-slipped. I'm sorry, Dean, I'm not trying to push you, it just...came out." She stood up, pulling her hand gently away from his and grabbing the pot of potatoes, carrying them to the stove. She turned the burner on and kept her back to Dean, squeezing her eyes shut and silently berating herself. She had promised herself that she wasn't going to say it, wasn't going to let something like that hang in the air between them and cause friction, and now she had blown that promise right out of the water. She heard Dean step up behind her, and hung her head a little, wishing she could take back the words. He turned her to face him, then cradled her face in his hands and kissed her softly and slowly. Then he pulled her close, holding her so tight it was almost hard to breathe. He kissed her again, and she could have sworn there were tears in his eyes. Then Sam walked into the room, and Dean gave her one last squeeze before turning to ask his brother how he was doing. Beth smiled a little shakily to herself and started working on supper once again.

They all headed to bed early that night, and Beth crawled in next to Dean, grateful that she would have him there for a few nights again. She cuddled close and laid her head on his shoulder, and he held her tight as he took hold of the hand she had laid on his chest. She placed a couple of gentle kisses on his skin and spoke softly. "I hate it when you're hurt, Dean-but I'm glad to have you home." She felt him kiss the top of her head, and sighed contentedly, happy to be in his arms.

She was just beginning to drift off to sleep when she heard him whisper, "I love you too, Coop."

* * *

Beth grabbed the ringing phone from the wall, whisking eggs at the same time. "FBI, Assistant Director Talmadge's office, Special Agent Parker speaking. He is away from his office at present, but I can assist you. Yes, I can verify that we have an agent on site at Bemidji. Well, Sheriff, I can have Assistant Director Talmadge return your call, but I will warn you that he gets a little-belligerent, for lack of a better word, when people refuse to take the word of his executive assistant. He's a busy man, that's why they assigned him an executive assistant. Yes, sir, and you have a great day. Please call if you have any further issues." She hung up the phone and turned to take the eggs to the stove in one smooth motion, then looked up to see Dean leaning in the doorway, an amused smile on his face.

"Look at you, Bobby Junior." Beth grinned, her cheeks coloring a little as she poured the eggs into a hot skillet.

"Hey, he needed a little relief from these phones, so I made him teach me. Sometimes it seems like they're ringing nonstop. I don't know how he's handled it on his own for this long." Dean's arms slid around her from the back, and she leaned against him, stirring the eggs.

"I've never seen Bobby cook at the same time, though. Pretty impressive."

"Doesn't take much to impress you, does it?" she teased, turning to look up at him. He took the spatula from her hand and pulled her close, kissing her and silencing her protests about burning breakfast.

"You do a lot of things that impress me, Coop," he said, a suggestive lilt to his voice, and Beth hit him playfully on the chest as she turned back to the stove.

"Make yourself useful and butter the toast, would you?" Dean grinned, sweeping her hair off her neck and dropping a kiss there before complying with her request.

A few minutes later, they had the table set and Sam walked into the kitchen to find Beth lifting Dean's shirt. "Whoa, dude, go to your room, okay?" he said, and Beth looked up, frowning. But Sam was grinning ear to ear, and she shook her head at his teasing.

"I'm checking his stitches, you overgrown brat," she retorted, finishing her examination. "And just for that-come here, I need to look at yours." He came closer, turning around with his arms raised as if he was under arrest. She pulled Sam's shirt up, checking over the wound on his back. "All right, you pass inspection. How are your ribs feeling?"

"Sore. Can we eat now, Mama Beth?"

Beth turned, eyebrows raised, to look at Dean, who was grinning at his brother's sense of humor. "Don't encourage him," she said, shaking her head and going to the door to call Bobby for breakfast.


	13. Chapter 13

Beth stood looking out the kitchen window at the bleak winter landscape. She had barely seen Dean the last couple of months-it seemed the jobs that came up took them farther away and took longer to deal with. And of course, there were jobs that popped up along the way home to delay things even further. She sighed, and Bobby looked up, smiling sympathetically. "I know, Bethany-winter in South Dakota blows."

She turned to face him, smiling ruefully. "Yeah, it does. You'd think I would be used to it, Wyoming winters were no picnic either. I'm just bored, I miss them, Bobby. They've been gone a long time this trip."

"Just be glad they haven't needed to come home for healing time." Beth smiled and nodded in agreement. "You headed to Wyoming for Christmas next week?" Bobby asked, picking up his cup and rising to head for the coffee maker.

"I suppose I should, but I hate to not be with you and the guys," she said, a note of wistfulness in her voice.

"Well, Bethany-there isn't much Christmas spirit between the three of us, sorry to say. You'd probably be better off in Lovell. Sam really avoids the whole thing, and I haven't had much use for celebrating it since...well, since my wife died. And Dean-well, I can't say, you might change his mind." Beth walked over to Bobby and hugged him, and he reciprocated with his free arm. She kissed his cheek and stepped away to grab a cup of her own.

"You guys have had so much sadness and evil in your lives-I can't say I blame you. But it does make me a little sad."

Bobby gave her a lopsided smile as they sat back down at the table. "Girl, you've brought a little light into the darkness around here. Don't worry about us, we're good." He patted her hand, then turned his eyes to the window. "Hey, here come the boys now." Bobby's eyes crinkled in a smile as he watched Beth's eyes light up.

"I hope they're in one piece this time," she said, watching with relief as they climbed out of the Impala, seemingly in good shape. She went to the door, and was immediately swung up in the air and whirled in a circle by Sam, who entered first. "Sam! Put me down, I'm getting dizzy!"

"Just glad to see ya, midget!" he teased, setting her down and landing a resounding kiss on her cheek as his brother entered.

"Hey! Stop hitting on my girl!" Dean pulled her into his arms and kissed her until Sam loudly cleared his throat. He bent his head to rest his forehead against hers, smiling warmly. "Damn, I missed you, Coop."

"I missed you too, Dean," she answered, her eyes shining as she looked up at him.

Bobby grinned at them all, shaking his head. "So, anything interesting this trip?"

Beth smiled as Sam launched into a story, his laugh filling the room, and Dean joined in. The rest of the day passed by in conversation and laughter, and they shared a few drinks that night before everyone headed to bed.

* * *

The morning of Christmas Eve, Beth was packed and ready to go to Lovell. She hugged Bobby and Sam and told them "Merry Christmas," then Dean took her hand and her bag and walked her out to her car.

"Sure you don't want to come?" she asked softly, looking up at him as he stood with his arms around her.

"I'm sorry, Coop-I'm afraid I'd just put a damper on the whole family Christmas thing. Are you disappointed?" he asked, looking guilty.

She smiled at him, her hand on his face as she kissed him. "A little-but it's fine. I'll be back in a couple of days, hopefully you won't have to take off right away. I just hate not being here when you're home. I'm heading home the day after Christmas, I told Mom I couldn't stay long." Dean kissed her again, reluctant to let her go, but finally Beth put her hands on his chest and pulled away. "Damn it, Dean, you make it so hard to leave!"

"Now you know how I feel," he said, grinning. "Drive careful, Beth. I'll call you tonight." He stood there, watching as she left the drive, then walked back into the house, hands shoved into his pockets, just then realizing how cold it was.

Early in the evening two days later, Beth pulled back into the yard at Bobby's, smiling with relief that the long drive was over and she was back home. It was good to see her Mom and Rick, but she always felt a little on edge, like there were certain things she couldn't or shouldn't talk about, if only for their peace of mind. She got out of the car and turned to open the door to retrieve her bag when she heard footsteps in the snow and looked up. Dean was approaching her, coming from the body shop, and she met him halfway. She didn't get a chance to say anything as he greeted her with a kiss, then pulled her with him into the shop. After a few minutes of a very enthusiastic welcome, Dean raised his head. "Hey, Coop."

A slow smile made its way onto Beth's face. "Hey, Winchester." She took a step back, catching her breath. "I think I'll leave more often. Damn."

Dean grinned. "That isn't what I brought you in here for-well, not totally, anyway." He held out his hand to her, and as she took it he led her to the workbench in the back of the shop. "I made you something while you were gone, Coop. I hope you never need it, but..."

Beth's eyes widened as he turned to hand her a sawed-off shotgun, the word "Coop" carved into the well-polished stock. "You made me a gun?" She grinned as she took it. "You really made me a gun." She ran her fingers over her name, then looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. "I love it, Dean. Now all you have to do is show me how to use it."

"I'm pretty sure that can be arranged. Later," he said, wrapping her in his arms again and kissing her, taking the gun from her hand and laying it back on the workbench. He steered her towards the front of the building, until Beth put a hand on his chest and pulled away slightly.

"Where are we going?" she asked breathlessly, as he continued his welcome assault on her lips.

"Office," he growled softly, pushing her gently through the door, kicking it closed behind them.

"Mmmm, got some important paperwork to do?" she teased as he maneuvered her to the old couch in the corner.

"Very important," he whispered, and then his lips silenced any further conversation.

* * *

Before the week was out, Sam and Dean were off again, following a lead on a job out east. Beth went to work with Bobby on organizing his vast library, knowing the boys would be gone for several weeks this time. It was a daunting job, Bobby's collection of resources was vast, but they tried to set aside at least one day or evening a week to work on it. "Not sure if I can do research this way, Bethany. I'm used to digging through piles until I find the book I need, usually at the bottom of the last stack," he joked wryly as they sorted and stacked. Jody came out to help occasionally, and Beth smiled at the subtle flirtation going on between her and Bobby.

Dean called Beth almost every night, usually before he crashed for the night, which was sometimes very late, or even early morning. She didn't mind-she missed him so much that she was glad to hear his voice no matter what time he called. They had been gone for almost seven weeks, and she was beginning to wonder if they were ever coming home. She made that comment as she, Jody and Bobby worked on his library one evening, and her phone rang as if on cue. She took it into the kitchen to answer, smiling to herself. "Hi, Dean. Is everything okay?"

"We're okay. Sam and I are okay." There was strain in Dean's voice, and he sounded as if he'd been drinking pretty heavily.

"Dean? What's wrong?" She waited several seconds before she heard a sound on the other end.

"We lost a kid today, Beth." He sounded as though the words had been torn out of him by force, and her heart ached for him. She could picture the look on his face, and she longed to be able to put her arms around him.

"Dean-I'm sorry. What can I do?"

"Nothing. There's nothing anybody can do. He's dead, and he's not coming back."

"It's not your fault, Dean."

"How the hell do you know?" Beth heard him take a harsh breath, then he spoke quietly again. "I'm sorry, Beth-I'm sorry."

"Dean-do you want me to drive out there?"

"No-no, Coop, we'll be home in a couple of days. I just-I just wanted to talk to you."

"I wish I was there with you. Please try to get some sleep, all right? I love you, Dean."

"I'll try." There was silence for a moment, then he spoke again, very softly. "Coop? Me too."

Bobby looked up as Beth walked back into the room, and a concerned frown made its way onto his face. "Bethany? What's wrong, the boys okay?"

She nodded as she sat down on the couch, letting her head drop back as sympathetic tears stung her eyes. "They're okay, but they lost a kid today, and Dean isn't...well, he's pretty toasted right now, and beating himself up."

"That sounds about right," Bobby said quietly. "That boy always thinks it's his responsibility to save the whole damn world. Even though they've done it several times now. I wish he'd give himself a break."

"You guys want a beer?" Beth asked as she stood, heading for the kitchen. She brought back the cold brews and took a seat on the couch next to Jody. "I'm sorry, Bobby, I guess I'm done for the day."

"Good-you women are working me to death around here lately," Bobby grumped, but the sparkle in his eye made Beth smile.

"Sorry, Bobby. We'll try to take it a little easier on you from now on-right, Jody?"

They shared their beer, then Beth headed upstairs. She closed her bedroom door and dialed Sam's number, still worried about Dean. "Sam? Hey, how are you?"

"I'm okay, Beth. And Dean's asleep. Crashed not too long after he talked to you."

"Good. I just-I get worried when he's like this. I just wish I could do more to help."

"Beth-he called you and talked to you-that does help."

"Thanks, Sammy. Well, you'd better get some rest too-I'll see you in a couple of days, right?"

"Right." Sam hesitated, then said softly, "Beth?"

"Yeah?"

She heard him blow out a breath, then he said, "Nothing. Never mind. See you soon." Beth hung up, frowning slightly as she wondered what it was that Sam had wanted to say to her.

* * *

When the boys pulled into the yard later that week, Beth walked to meet them at the car. Sam smiled and greeted her, grabbing his bag and dropping a kiss on her cheek as he headed into the house. Dean climbed out of the Impala and she walked silently into his arms, and they stood holding each other for a time before joining Sam and Bobby inside.

Dean was quiet and withdrawn all night, and restlessly wandered around the room as Sam filled Bobby in on the hunt, avoiding discussion of the casualty. Beth just sat quietly, letting the guys talk, and put a comforting hand on Dean when he did perch next to her on the couch for a few moments. She hated seeing him like this and being unable to ease his pain.

Beth laid in his arms later that night, feeling the tension in his body. She sighed quietly, pulling back to look into his face in the dim light filtering in from the yard light outside. "You asked me a question once, and I couldn't give you an answer. You wanted to know how I knew you were a good man, remember?" She reached to touch his face gently, and he turned to look at her, his torment evident in his eyes. "This, the way you are right now-that's one reason. You care so much, Dean. It's not just the hunting and killing things that motivates you-it's saving people. That's such a big part of your purpose that you can't separate yourself from it. I just wish you could see that when someone dies, it's not your fault."

She leaned in to kiss him softly once, twice-the third time, he responded almost ferociously, flipping her onto her back and kissing her until she could barely catch her breath. Then he stopped suddenly, rolling back over onto his back, flinging an arm over his face. "I can't, Coop-I'm too...I've got so much anger in me right now..."

Beth leaned over him, pulling his arm gently away from his eyes and looking down at him. "You would never hurt me, Dean. I'm not afraid of you." She bent to kiss him again, and his eyes closed as he gave in to his need for her. It was some time later when they fell asleep, utterly spent, Dean's head on Beth's shoulder as she cradled him in her arms.

The next morning, Beth walked into the kitchen and immediately sensed that something was off. She turned her head to look towards the table where Sam, Dean and Bobby sat, each intently studying the coffee in their cups. "I take it I just interrupted something," she said quietly. "Sorry." She continued to the bathroom, hoping they could finish their conversation before she was out of the shower.

She came out into the room a little later, noticing that Dean was gone. She glanced over at Sam, who promptly looked away. She filled her cup and sat down at the table next to him, sighing. "All right, guys. What the hell is going on?"

Bobby took a breath, then looked her in the eye. "Bethany-Dean is in the shop. You really should go talk to him."

She looked into Bobby's eyes for a moment, then nodded slowly and stood. She grabbed Dean's jacket from the chair, putting it on even though she swam in it, and pushed the sleeve up to grab her cup as she headed for the door. She walked into the shop, which was dark in comparison to the outside sunshine. There were no lights on, and she let her eyes adjust to the dim light. Dean stood in front of the workbench, his hands on top of the surface, his head hung low. She approached him quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Dean? Do we need to talk?"

He didn't move for a moment, then turned and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head as he held her. She set her coffee cup on the workbench behind him and put her arms around his waist, letting him take the time he needed. When he finally spoke, his voice was subdued. "Beth-come to the cabin with me for a few days."

She looked up at him, but he wasn't meeting her eyes. "Are you okay, Dean?"

"I just-I need to get away, take a break for a few days. I can go alone, if you don't..."

"Of course I'll go. You want to leave now?" He nodded hesitantly. "All right, I'll go pack a bag. Then whenever you're ready, we can go." She reached a hand to touch his face and kissed his cheek, then turned to go to the house.

They stayed at a little motel in Sheridan, Wyoming that night. Dean aimlessly wandered the small room, staring out the windows, and was restless all night, mumbling in his sleep. When they reached Whitefish, they stopped for supplies and then drove the few miles to the cabin. The whole trip had been mostly silent-Beth had decided not to ask any more questions, but let Dean talk when he was ready. After unloading the car, she went into the kitchen and started putting things away. Dean came in to help, and she turned to him, slipping her arms around him, and he hugged her tight. "Thanks for coming with me, Coop."

She smiled up at him and kissed him gently. "I'm not going to ask you what's going on, but I'm here, Dean. Whenever you're ready, I'm here." She gave him one last hug, then stepped away and they finished their task.

Dean got the fireplace going, and they sat on the couch, sipping at glasses of Southern Comfort. Dean drained his glass, setting it on the coffee table, then let his head drop to the back of the couch. Beth took hold of his hand, tugging at him gently. "Come here," she said softly, and he laid down, his head in her lap, and she let her fingers play in his hair and make gentle little circles at his temples. He let out a quiet sigh, and she smiled. "Good or bad?"

"Good," he answered, so she continued with the soothing motions, happy to be doing anything to give him some relief.

When they went to bed that night, he held her close, squeezing her tight for a moment as he spoke. "I can't talk about it, Beth. Not yet." She just nodded silently and turned her face up for a kiss goodnight, and she snuggled in close to him as they drifted off to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

They spent the next two days at the cabin in similar fashion, watching television, talking about neutral topics, taking walks together since the late winter weather had been fairly mild. The evening of the second day, they sat on the couch in front of the fireplace, Beth curled up next to Dean, reading as he nursed a whiskey and stared unblinking into the flames. Beth heard him make some small noise and glanced up to see his eyes filled with tears as he struggled to control his emotions. She laid her book down, taking his drink from his hand and setting it on the table. "Dean? What is it? You can tell me."

He leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees, breathing hard, his voice harsh as he fought against breaking down. "He was my son, Beth. At least he was for a year. And I couldn't save him." Dean's shoulders shook with silent sobs, and Beth cried with him, rising to her knees to put her arms around him.

"I'm so sorry, Dean." She moved as he leaned back, straddling his lap, clinging to him as tightly as she could, his arms wrapped desperately around her. She laid her head on his shoulder, crying with him, feeling as if her heart was breaking from the agonizing pain she could feel radiating from him. They sat that way for an hour after they had both calmed, holding each other, comforting each other without words.

* * *

Beth sat on the couch in front of the fire, a blanket wrapped around her, hot coffee warming her hands. The fire was just beginning to take off, and she was glad to feel the warmth. It was early, not even sunrise, but she hadn't slept much the night before. Dean had finally been able to sleep more peacefully, exhausted after finally giving his grief free rein. Beth had cradled him in her arms all night.

She made breakfast for them later, which they ate together in front of the fireplace. Dean hesitantly began to talk about Ben, what a great kid he'd been, even smiling a little as he told her of the first time he met the boy. Once he started, the memories flowed, and he told Beth everything-his year with Lisa, his attempt at living a normal life, Sam coming back, Dean being turned by the vamp-and then the demon attack, and Cas wiping Lisa and Ben's memories of him. Beth put a hand softly on his face, tears in her eyes as she whispered, "You have had so much pain in your life, Dean. I'm sorry."

He pulled her close, his arms tight around her. "He knew me, Beth." He took a moment to compose himself before continuing. "When I found him-he was dying-he looked up at me and said my name. He remembered me. But the wendigo had him so torn up, there wasn't anything I could do but hold his hand and tell him he'd be okay, that I was there." His voice broke as he finished, and Beth tightened her grip on him. "He was a good kid, Beth. I just wish..." His voice trailed off into silence.

"He knew you came for him, Dean."

"I never even thought about being close to Cicero. It didn't occur to me that Ben could be one of the kids camping at Summit Lake. When I saw him-Coop..."

"I know," Beth whispered, her hand gently smoothing his hair. After a moment or two, Dean loosened his grip on her and she moved away, sitting back beside him, rubbing his back. He rose from the couch and walked to the mantle, reaching for the bottle of whiskey, but stopped and stood there, his head hanging. Beth moved to stand behind him, her arms around his waist, and she felt his hand cover hers.

"Help me, Beth," he whispered harshly. She hugged him tight for a moment, then took a step back, putting a hand on his arm and urging him around to face her. She put her hands gently on his face, reaching up to kiss him tenderly.

"Whatever you need, Dean." A lone tear escaped and ran down her face. "Just tell me what you need, I want to help you. I just don't know how. I wish I did." She wrapped her arms back around him, laying her head on his chest and holding him tight.

Beth snuggled on his shoulder that night in bed, absently tracing her finger over the scar on his chest. "Are you okay, Dean?" she asked softly; he had been quiet most of the rest of the day, and she was a little worried.

"I'm okay, Coop." He tightened his arms around her and took a breath. "I was just wondering how Lisa's doing-Ben was pretty much all she had. I mean, she has her parents, but..."

Beth reached to kiss his cheek. "She had you-but I guess she doesn't remember that, does she?"

"No. And she...well, she kind of had me, but it wasn't much of a bargain, that's for sure."

Beth pulled back to look at him, even though the room was too dark to really see his face. "Why would you say that, Dean?"

"It's true. Sam was gone, I was broken. I mean, really broken. More like a wounded animal for a while, I think. I don't know why she put up with me."

"You're so hard on yourself, Dean. You were there for a year, there must have been something."

Dean kissed Beth's forehead and pulled her close again. "I just kind of escaped there for a while. I don't know, I think I was more in love with the idea of having a family, and being a dad to Ben, than I ever was really with her. I mean, I loved her, but I don't know, it was different. She was always there for me, it's just too bad I can't be there for her now."

"Do you want to see her? I mean, you could go, maybe it would give you some closure."

"No. It'd be kind of hard to explain why I was there."

Beth kissed his shoulder and hugged him gently. "I'm sorry, Dean."

"Don't be." His hand came over to rest on her cheek and he kissed her softly. "I've got you, Coop." He kissed her again, this time a little harder, and his hand slid down her arm and over to her waist, slipping underneath her shirt.

Beth gasped softly as he touched her, her hand sliding from his chest down his body, and she nipped gently at his lip. "Done talking?" she breathed, and he turned her onto her back, hovering just above her.

"Done talking," he said, then crushed his lips to hers and let himself forget everything but Beth, soft and warm beneath him.

* * *

Beth was happy to see the burden of Dean's grief lighten over the next few days. He still had his dark moments, but they were fewer and not as crushing. She knew the day was coming when they would have to leave, to go back to their real lives, and she was treasuring every moment at the cabin.

One early morning, Beth woke up in bed alone. She didn't hear the shower, so she got up, wandering barefoot into the living room. She could see Dean by the patio door, staring out at the mountains. He was still in his boxers, so he hadn't been up long. She slipped up behind him and slid her arms around him, laying her face against his back. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, placing a gentle kiss on his skin.

He straightened, turning to pull her into his arms. "Yeah, most of the time," he answered truthfully, and she felt him place a kiss on top of her head as she snuggled contentedly against him. He pulled back a little, his hand moving to her face as he kissed her lips, caressing them gently with his own until she sighed a little and his mouth curved into a smile. "Coop-you wanna go for a drive? Just take Baby and see where she leads?"

"That sounds great to me," she murmured.

They got dressed and got into the car, and Beth slid over next to Dean as he started the Impala's rumbling engine and smiled down at her briefly before heading down the drive. She smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder, happy that she was finally seeing him smile again.

They drove for a while, listening to the music, enjoying the scenery. By mid-morning, they were heading down the scenic route through Glacier National Park, stopping occasionally at a lookout point to lean against the car and admire the view, enjoying the unseasonably warm day, almost 70 degrees. They stopped at a restaurant near the end of the Going-To-The-Sun Road to grab lunch, before continuing their road trip.  
They finally left the state park, driving through Saint Mary, and Dean turned onto a gravel road, tired of taking the beaten path. Beth sighed, reaching up to kiss his stubbly cheek, content to stay this way forever if it was possible.

Dean reached for the cassette player, ejecting the Led Zeppelin tape and handing it to Beth. "Pick one," he said, and she dug through the box, a slow smile sliding across her face as she put a tape into the player. Dean gave a half-smile, nodding his approval as Bad Company began to play. "Good choice."

Beth was still smiling as she placed a soft kiss on his neck, right under his jaw line, and his arm tightened around her. 'Good Lovin' Gone Bad' was blasting from the speakers, and she smiled to herself as her fingers began tracing a languorous pattern on his denim-clad thigh. She felt him catch his breath as she allowed her hand to wander higher on his leg. Cuddling all day on his shoulder, combined with the music she had chosen, had made her hungry for him, and she wanted to share the favor.

"Making it kind of hard to stay on the road, Coop," he said, a rough edge to his voice.

Beth looked up at him, a sensual smile curving her lips. "Then maybe you should pull over, Winchester," she said, as her hand trailed its way even higher and found its mark, making him inhale sharply through his clenched teeth.

"Damn, Coop, let me get stopped," he growled softly, taking a turn into the first deserted farm place he spotted, parking behind a half-standing barn. He turned off the engine, leaving the music playing, and laid his head on the back of the seat, his eyes closing, moaning softly as Beth continued to tease him. She turned towards him, kissing his neck and down his jaw line, making her way to his parted lips. She leaned into him, nibbling gently at his lower lip, her hand continuing its ministrations until a low growl emanated from his throat.

He buried one hand in her hair, holding her as his lips answered hers with equal passion. He met the thrust of her tongue with his own, his other hand busily engaged in undoing the buttons of her shirt. Beth whimpered softly into his mouth as his fingers found their target. He pulled back from her, looking into her glowing eyes, her tongue darting out to briefly touch her lower lip, and he felt searing heat flood through his veins at the expression on her face. "Why don't we get into the back?" he asked, his voice husky, and she nodded, looking into his green eyes for a moment before moving her hand and moving away from him slightly as he opened the door.

Dean climbed out of the Impala, holding out a hand to help her out of the driver's side door. She was glad for his assistance, because her legs felt so weak she wasn't sure she could stand. As soon as she was out, Dean moved her up against the back door, pressing his body against hers and kissing her again, his hands sliding her shirt down her arms and letting it fall to the ground. He put his hands on her waist and moved her farther towards the back of the car, lifting her to seat her on the back fender, his green eyes glowing with heat as he looked into her face. He pushed his way between her legs, watching with lustful pleasure as her eyes closed, her lashes long and soft against her cheeks, her head dropping back and her lips parting as she fought for breath. He held her with one muscular arm to her back, his hand cradling her neck as he leaned her back further, his lips caressing the soft skin of her neck, just below her ear, then making their way downward to the curve of her shoulder. He fought for control as she whispered his name.

He deftly unfastened her bra with one hand, then using his other hand to slide the straps from her shoulders and toss the garment over his shoulder. He leaned her back once more, his touch causing Beth's mind to reel as she struggled to maintain her composure. He raised his head to look down at her hungrily, growling softly, "Beth, you are so beautiful." Somewhere in the back of her mind it registered that 'Feel Like Makin' Love' had begun to play, and she sighed at the perfection of the moment.

Dean pulled her back upright, pulling off his long-sleeved shirt and, keeping his eyes on Beth's face, reaching behind her to lay it over the surface of the car. She reached to pull up the hem of his t-shirt, and he helped as she pulled it over his head, then leaned in to kiss a trail over his chest. He laid the t-shirt down behind her as well, then laid her back carefully onto his discarded clothing. He watched her face as he trailed his fingers down her sides, coming to rest at her waist, and reaching for the button on her jeans. He continued to watch her as he unzipped them, lifting her hips to slide her jeans and panties from under her, gliding them slowly down her legs as he let his fingers stroke the smooth skin along the way. Beth's head was lolling to and fro, her dark hair spilled over the surface of the trunk, and Dean gazed down at her, almost unable to contain himself.

It seemed as if all strength had gone from Beth's limbs, and she felt as though he was touching her everywhere at once. His hands felt slightly rough on her skin, his lips caressing and his teeth nibbling gently, and she had no coherent thought left, only sensation, as she softly moaned his name. "Dean..."

"Easy, baby, I'm just getting started," he murmured, his voice warm, and he growled softly as she began to whimper incoherently, her hands grasping for something to hold onto but finding only the slick surface of the car. "You are so sweet, Beth," he murmured, kissing his way back to her lips and devouring them hungrily.

"Please...Dean..." she panted softly, and he raised his head to gaze down at her, his green eyes dark with passion.

"What do you want, Beth? Just tell me, I'll do it for you, baby." He was playing her body like an instrument, and she struggled to speak.

"I want you, Dean. I want you," she whispered, and he stopped his play, helping her sit up and reaching for the button on his jeans. He lowered his pants and Beth pulled him down to kiss him feverishly, and then he pulled back slightly, staring down at her.

Dean's tongue played over his lips as he slowly, deliberately fulfilled her wishes, pulling her almost off of the car to give himself access. She whimpered again softly, and he kissed her, looking down at her with concern. "Did I hurt you?" he asked softly, and she shook her head, and then clung to his shoulders as they slowly drove one another to the heights of their pleasure. Dean turned then, leaning against the car, slowly coming back to earth as Beth kissed his neck softly, then put her lips next to his ear, whispering, "I love you, Dean."

"I love you too, Coop," he breathed, holding her close, looking into her eyes as she raised her head and capturing her lips with his. "Damn, baby," he murmured, then kissed her again, softly and gently, pouring his heart into it.

They gathered Beth's clothes, laying them on top of the Impala as they got dressed. As Beth buttoned her shirt, Dean pulled her close, kissing her so sweetly that she felt tears sting her eyes. He raised his head to gaze down at her, speaking softly. "You're amazing, Beth. I still can't believe that you love me. I still can't believe you take me for what I am and don't run away screaming." He moved his hand to her face and kissed her again, then leaned his forehead on hers, looking down into her tear-filled eyes. "I don't know if I would have made it through this last couple of weeks without you."

Dean brushed a tear from her cheek with his thumb as she replied. "I can't believe that you think you're so hard to love. It's the easiest thing in the world to me." Dean kissed her gently again, and they finished dressing, then slid back into the Impala to wander their way down the road back to the cabin, Beth's head once again resting on Dean's shoulder.


	15. Chapter 15

Beth leaned against the Impala, turning her face up to the sun, her eyes closed. The sun felt warmer today than it had for a while, and it felt like spring was finally coming. Dean was inside on the phone to Bobby, and she was waiting for him to finish so they could make a run into Whitefish. The last couple of weeks had been difficult at times, but she felt like Dean was finally beginning to pull out of the spiral he had been in, and starting to act more like himself.

Beth heard footsteps and opened her eyes, expecting to see Dean coming towards her. But a tall blond woman stood there, a few feet away, staring back at her with an ugly smirk on her lips.

"Dean Winchester's whore. I've heard about you."

Beth felt a little thrill of fear, but kept her voice steady. "Who are you?"

"You can call me Danae. That's what it says on all the identification this meat sack has on her."

"Or you could let her go and go back to where you came from." Beth's eyes were cold as she glared back at the demon. "If you're trying to scare me-sorry. What do you want? Why are you here?"

"Just wanted to say hi. We'll be seeing a lot of each other in the future, my boss is soooo anxious to meet Deano. He's on the bucket list of every demon, but the new guy in charge-he loves a challenge. Dean's number one on Hell's Most Wanted. And you're his new favorite toy, so..." The blond approached Beth suddenly, but backed off immediately as Beth showered her with holy water from the flask in her hand.

"Really? Do I look that easy?" Beth asked sarcastically as the demon howled in pain. Dean came rushing out the door of the cabin, gun in hand, but switched quickly to his knife as he came down the stairs.

"You all right?" he asked Beth, his eyes never leaving the demon.

"Well, she did call me a whore-kind of hurt my feelings," Beth answered matter-of-factly. "She said you're number one on Hell's Most Wanted, apparently there's a new sheriff in town down there."

The demon was backing away, hatred gleaming in her eyes and an evil smile on her lips. "Hey, I was just popping in to say hello. Scouting, you might say." She leered at Dean. "You're kind of yummy."

"Sorry, you're definitely not my type," he countered, disgust on his face. "So who is the new boss?" Dean asked, slowly advancing on the blond.

"His name is Dameon. He's looking forward to meeting you, Dean Winchester."

Dean was staring back at the demon, a sarcastic frown on his face. "Dameon? How original."

The blond shrugged as she backed away towards the trees. "Sometimes the classics are the best," she tossed over her shoulder as she turned and ran into the woods, disappearing from their sight.

Dean sheathed his knife and came to Beth's side, grabbing her by the arms. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

Beth smiled, holding up her flask. "Didn't get close enough."

Dean grinned. "That's my girl." He hugged her, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath, hiding his expression of relief from Beth.

"I'm okay, Dean. It's all right." Beth spoke softly, pulling back to look into his eyes. "You don't have to worry about me."

"Like hell I don't."

* * *

They headed into town to get their supplies, and on the way home Beth broached the subject that had caused a few arguments in the past. "Dean-I'm sorry, but you need to teach me to fight."

"We've had this discussion. I don't want you hunting."

Beth took a deep breath, trying to keep her cool. "I'm not talking about hunting. I'm talking about fighting. If these things are going to show up, I just need to know a few tricks to get rid of them, or at least be able to get away."

"So you'll stay with Bobby, or me, or Sam. Bobby's house is warded against demons, so you're fine there."

"So I can't leave the house without an escort? What's my curfew, Daddy?"

Dean whipped into the driveway at the cabin and came to a screeching halt, turning his fiery gaze to Beth. "Don't."

"Don't what? You're treating me like a three-year-old, what did you expect?"

"Don't compare me to my Dad."

Beth rolled her eyes. "I wasn't comparing you to your Dad. Just to a Dad. I didn't even know your Dad, Dean. Get over your complex."

He turned back to the steering wheel and drove the rest of the way up the drive, parking in front of the cabin. He got out and opened the back door, grabbing bags from the back seat and heading inside without another word. Beth sat there for a moment, frustrated, but also feeling sorry for her choice of words. She knew that was a sore spot with him. But, damn it, he made her so mad when he got dictatorial. She sighed, then exited the car and grabbed the rest of the groceries from the back.

She walked into the kitchen where Dean was silently putting things away, and set her bags down. She slipped up behind him, sliding her arms around him and laying her face against his back. "I'm sorry, Dean. I shouldn't have said what I did. I didn't mean it that way."

He didn't respond for a moment, standing with both hands on the counter, his head hung low. Then he turned and pulled her into his arms, speaking quietly. "Problem is, it's true. That's exactly what my Dad was like, Beth. Maybe that's why it gets under my skin." She pulled back a little to look up at him as he continued. "It just scares me to set anybody on that road, Coop. Once you start fighting, it seems like you can never stop." He moved his hands to her face and kissed her. "I want you...us...to be able to have some version of a normal life, as crazy as that sounds. When we come up here, it's like we're regular people for a little while. Or at least, it was. Now, I guess we go back to carrying hex bags everywhere we go, since the new Crowley's taken over."

"Dean, I don't want to fight. I just want to be able to do what I did today. Keep them at bay, defend myself. I promise, I won't go all Alice and want to kill things all the time." When she looked up at him, a slow smile was curving Dean's lips, a gleam in his eyes, and Beth laughed softly.

"You are so easy, Winchester."

"Yeah. I know." He kissed her again, this time with heat and purpose. She pulled back, breathless, gazing up at him.

"We have to put this stuff away, the ice cream will melt."

"I think we just melted it."

She smiled and pulled gently away, searching the bags for the refrigerated items. "At least let's put the cold stuff away. Then I promise we can watch a Resident Evil marathon." He was kissing her neck as she tried to focus on sorting the groceries. "Dean..." Her voice trailed off as she weakened and leaned back against him.

"Fine, I'll help with the cold stuff-but Resident Evil can wait until later," he murmured in her ear.

* * *

The end of that week, they drove back to Sioux Falls, both of them rather reluctant to leave Montana. It was evening when they pulled in, and hauled their belongings into the house. "Bobby? Sam? We're home," Beth called as they walked in.

"Oh, you do still live here-we were beginning to wonder," Bobby called out, teasing. Dean held up a beer with a question in his eyes, and Beth nodded, smiling, heading into the next room.

"Hey, you old grump, I've missed you," she said, moving behind his desk to hug him and kiss him soundly on the cheek. Sam grinned up at her from the couch, and she plopped down beside him, joined on her other side by Dean. She took the cold beer from his hand and took a drink, sighing with contentment at being home.

"So, had any company here?" Dean asked, looking at Bobby.

"What kind of company?" he asked, his brows drawing together in concern. "We got trouble?"

"Yeah. Beth had a visitor the other day. Her name was..."

"Danae," Beth interjected.

"Danae. And she informed us that there's a new Crowley downstairs, and apparently he's interested in us. Or at least in me."

"Great. Got a name?"

Dean snorted softly. "Yeah. Dameon."

Bobby sighed, nodding. "Okay, I'll see what I can find out. Meanwhile-I guess playtime is over. Hex bags, everybody."

"And Bobby-Beth needs a gun."

"You made her a gun."

"I mean a pistol. Preferably a Colt."

Bobby was staring back at Dean, his eyes concerned. "Okay. I'll see what I can round up."

Dean sat up straight on the couch, his arms resting on his knees. "That black-eyed bitch came for Beth, Bobby. And she's finally convinced me, she needs to know how to fight." He looked back at her as she laid a hand on his arm. "Not hunt. Just fight for her own protection."

Bobby gave a tight-lipped nod, and Sam was doing the same next to Beth. "Good. I can work with her some, Dean. I assume you want defensive moves, escapes, that kind of stuff?"

"If somebody comes after her, I want her to be able to take them down. I want her safe."

Beth cleared her throat, a half-smile on her face. "Hello? 'Her' is right here. 'Her' is in the room, and 'her' is not invisible. So maybe 'her' could be in on the conversation?"

Sam laughed quietly. "Sorry, midget. You're just so short, I didn't notice you there," he teased, and took a playful blow to the shoulder.

"Sometimes I don't know why I put up with you boys," Beth said, shaking her head, and Dean sat back, putting an arm around her and hugging her to his side.

"Because we're irresistible and you love us," he said, leaning to kiss her, then grinning down at her, his eyes full of mischief.

"Unfortunately, you're right." She looked up at Sam. "So, you're my coach?"

"Yup. We'll be running in the morning. You up for it?"

She nodded. "Whatever it takes. I'm done feeling helpless."


	16. Chapter 16

Beth asked for it, and she got it-Sam and Dean were merciless in her training. She and Sam ran at the crack of dawn each morning, then breakfast, then strength training. Sam worked her on defensive maneuvers and hold escapes, while Dean drilled her on knife-fighting techniques and target practice with her new Colt. She had climbed into bed the first night barely able to move, and Dean had held her gently, his voice rough as he spoke to her. "I hate this, Coop. I never wanted this for you." Beth had answered him with the accusation that he was afraid of her beating him in a fight, trying to lighten his mood.

After a few days, she was getting stronger and more limber; then Bobby got word of a job, and the guys were packing up to leave. Sam gave her some drills to work on, and she promised to keep up on her running, although he made it clear she was to use the treadmill in the shop and not go out running on her own. He gave her a hug and a smile, then crawled into the passenger side of the Impala, leaving her to say goodbye to his brother.

Dean put a hand up to her face, his thumb caressing her cheek as he stared down at her, his reluctance to leave evident in his expression. The tip of his tongue played briefly over his bottom lip before he bent to kiss her. "I have to go, Coop."

She nodded, looking down at the ground for a moment before looking back up at him with a sad smile. "I know. Be careful, I want you back in one piece."

"Bobby can work with you on your shooting. Keep that hex bag on you." His eyes were speaking volumes as he met her gaze, but he simply bent to kiss her one last time, quick and hard. "Stay safe, you hear me?"

Beth nodded, backing away from the car as he closed the door and the engine roared to life. She watched them until the Impala was out of sight, then turned to go back into the house.

* * *

She kept up on her running and drills, but she smiled to herself as she noticed that each time she headed to the shop, Bobby suddenly found work to do nearby. The third day he walked in shortly after she began running, she stopped the treadmill and walked over to him, smiling as he tried to avoid her eyes, pretending to look for something on the tool bench.

"Bobby-they told you not to leave me alone, didn't they?"

Bobby looked over to her, a scornful frown on his face. "What? I'm looking for my crescent wrench."

Beth shook her head. "Bobby, you may be able to pull that off when you're on a job, but you're terrible at lying to me. You're acting like my personal bodyguard." She was still smiling as he met her eyes a little sheepishly.

"Well-I guess they told me to keep an eye on you. Actually, Dean told me not to let you out of my sight." Beth sighed, and Bobby continued. "Girl, they are just worried about this demon. And you're training, but you're not ready for that, trust me. We all just want you safe."

Beth moved closer and planted a kiss on Bobby's bearded cheek. "I know, Bobby-thanks." Then she headed back to the treadmill.

* * *

It was almost six weeks later when the Impala found its way back to Sioux Falls. Sam grinned to himself as Beth ran directly into Dean's arms. After a couple of minutes, he grabbed some of the gear from the back seat and headed to the house, pausing next to them to say, "Hi, have we met? I'm chopped liver." He laughed quietly as Beth pulled away from Dean for a few seconds to greet him. "Hi, Beth. Good to see you too." Then she turned back to Dean again, and Sam walked to the house.

It wasn't long before Beth and Dean came in, Dean grabbing a longneck from the fridge on the way by and popping the lid off with his ring as he dropped to the couch. Beth joined him and he put an arm around her shoulders, hugging her to his side. "So, how's the training going?"

"Oh, it's going fine. And the bodyguard is working out okay, too."

Dean looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "Bodyguard?" Sam was trying unsuccessfully not to smile, and Bobby just quietly ducked his head, scratching at his ear, as Dean looked his direction. "Bobby? How many years have you been going undercover as FBI, coroners, cops, health inspectors? You can't manage to keep an eye on one woman without her figuring it out? Man, I think you're slipping."

"Yeah, well-this woman is smarter than most, other than putting up with you, ya idjit," Bobby countered, pouring himself a drink as Beth grinned at him.

"Thanks, Bobby." She smiled smugly up at Dean, and he shook his head, a crooked grin on his face.

"Fine. So you found me out. But at least I knew you were safe while we were gone, and you had backup if something happened."

Beth leaned in and kissed him, her eyes shining. "It's okay-thank you." Then she laid her head on his shoulder as he and Sam filled them in on their latest trip.

The next morning after breakfast, Beth got dressed and grabbed her keys off the hook by the door. "You guys need anything from town? I have to go to work for a while."

Dean looked up, his brows drawn together in a frown. "Work? Since when do you go to work?"

"I thought I told you-I'm doing Keith's books for him. The man has no concept of bookkeeping. He needed help, I just go in once or twice a week and take care of it for him."

Dean looked at Bobby. "When did this happen?"

"Few weeks ago," Bobby answered, nursing a cup of coffee. "He called and asked if she was interested, he was in a mess with the IRS and had to get his ducks in a row."

"And do you go with her?"

Bobby stared back at him, guilt on his face. "It's Keith."

"Dean," Beth interrupted, seeing Dean's temper stir a little, "I didn't let him go with me. It's just Keith. If you want to be mad at someone, take it out on me, it was my decision."

"Beth, damn it, I don't know how I can make you understand how dangerous it is for you right now," Dean said, quiet anger in his voice.

Beth stood silently by the door, looking intently at the floor. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it was a big deal. It's not Bobby's fault." She looked up at Dean, remorse in her brown eyes, and he sighed impatiently and stood up, draining his cup.

"I'll take you in if you want, I have to pick up some supplies anyway."

"I shouldn't be too long," Beth replied quietly, hanging her keys back up. "You can drop me off, and pick me up when you're done, if that's okay."

Dean put a finger under her chin and tilted her face up until she met his gaze. He kissed her softly and looked down at her until she gave him the beginnings of a smile. "I just want you safe, Coop," he said gently, and she nodded.

"I know."

Dean dropped Beth at the door of Blue Moon, and continued on his way. Beth walked in, ringing the little bell on the door, and went through the connecting door and back through the tattoo salon to the office. "Keith? I'm here," she called out, grabbing a seat behind the desk and settling in front of the computer.

The big man poked his head into the office and greeted her, then headed to the front as the bell rang again. "Just yell if you have any questions, Beth," he said as he left, and she dug into the receipts for the last week.

A little while later, Beth grabbed a couple of papers and headed into the tattoo room to find Keith. It had been quiet for a while, his customer was gone, and he was nowhere in sight. She called his name, then jumped as he spoke, whirling around to see him standing right behind her. "Keith! You scared me," she said, smiling. "I just have a couple of questions, I'm almost done."

"Keith's not home right now." His deep voice sounded menacing, and she looked up in shock to see his blue eyes go completely black. "I've been wanting to meet you, Beth." She dropped the papers in her hands, reaching for her pocket and her flask of holy water, but he gripped her wrists painfully in one huge hand before she could react. He reached for her with his other hand, and she struggled, trying to pull back, but it was no use. He tilted his head, looking her over, and she shuddered with revulsion. "I can see why the hunter likes you," he said, his voice like velvet. "I've heard rumors of the prophecy, but I prefer my version-a demon child, born of a hunter's bitch. Don't you agree, Beth?"

"What are you talking about? What prophecy?" The demon, in Keith's body, now had her pinned against the side of one of the padded tables, and Beth fought panic as he grasped a handful of her hair, pulling her head back as he bent towards her. "Stop it! Keith, I know you're in there, please stop."

"I told you, Keith's not home. Well, he's home, but he's bound. He'll probably enjoy this, he does have some wonderful fantasies about you from time to time."

Beth looked up into the terrifying black eyes of the demon, trying to control her fear. "Dameon? Are you Dameon?" The smile that crossed his face made her blood turn to ice.

"So you have heard of me. Good. You can scream my name when I take you." He bent towards her once again, but looked up as he heard a noise, and she took advantage of his momentary distraction to shove him with all her might, bringing her knee up into his groin. He grunted in pain, but his hold on her arms didn't loosen, and his lip curled in anger as he drew back his arm and backhanded her across the face. She dropped, barely conscious, caught only by Dameon's hold on her wrists. He lowered her to the floor, a low growl emanating from his throat. He knelt over her, smiling as a whimper escaped her lips. He reached to touch her, but instead flew backward as a shotgun blast hit him in the chest.

"Get off of her, you son of a bitch!" Dean snarled as he stalked into the room, firing again as the demon bellowed in anger. Dean dropped the sawed-off and grabbed the demon-killing blade from his pocket, brandishing it as he drew closer to Beth. "Beth? Can you hear me?" A low moan was his only answer, and he cursed under his breath.

"Winchester." The demon's voice was dripping with menace as he came fully to his feet, smoking slightly from the wounds that the salt rounds had torn into the skin on Keith's chest.

"Yeah, and who the hell are you? I like to know who I'm killing." Dean's face was twisted with rage, and the demon threw his head back and laughed.

"I heard you were cocky, but I don't think they did you justice. I'll be back, you can count on it." Dameon leered at Beth, still lying on the floor. "Sorry, my sweet Beth, I guess it was all foreplay this time. I'm sure you're disappointed, but we'll have to save the rest for another time."

Then with a shout, the demon exited Keith's body, and the huge man dropped unconscious to the floor.

Dean dropped immediately to his knees beside Beth, slipping a hand behind her neck and lifting her carefully, supporting her with his arm. "Coop? Are you all right?"

"Keith-you shot Keith," she mumbled, then blinked, squeezing her eyes shut tight for a moment before looking up at Dean. "I'm okay, you need to help Keith." She sat up, leaning against the leg of the table next to her, closing her eyes again.

Dean stood up, grabbing the shotgun and sheathing the knife. "I'll be right back, Beth." He turned and headed for the back door and the alley, where the Impala was parked. After stowing the weapons in the trunk, he returned quickly to find Beth on her knees next to Keith's still unconscious body.

He knelt down next to Beth, checking Keith for a pulse, then breathing a sigh of relief. The big man on the floor moaned, and Dean spoke quietly to him. "Keith? It's okay, man. You'll be okay."

Keith's eyes opened slowly, and Beth suppressed a shiver at the memory of the darkness that had looked out at her just a few moments ago. "Dean-what the hell..." He struggled to sit up, and Dean gave him a hand. Then he looked at Beth, remorse and shame on his face. "Damn it, Beth-I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop him, I tried." Beth nodded, unable to speak for the moment, a tear tracing its way down her cheek.

"You remember?" Dean asked, and Keith nodded, looking away.

"Yeah. I remember."

Dean laid a hand on Keith's shoulder. "Not your fault, man. There was nothing you could do. But you might want to get a tat like ours-keeps them out. It's an anti-possession symbol. Demon repellent."

Keith nodded. A siren sounded in the distance, drawing closer every second, and Dean looked at Keith, who shook his head. "Don't worry, Dean. Some whacked-out druggie just came in here armed with a shotgun loaded with rock salt and tried to rob me. Beth walked out of the office and got hit. You showed up to pick her up and found us. Sound good?"

They drove home in silence after talking to the police, who seemed satisfied with Keith's story. Dean was seething with anger as he glanced over at Beth. The side of her face was swollen and bruised, her eye almost swollen shut. She was covered in her own blood, and was crying quietly as she stared out the window, unseeing. They pulled into the yard and Dean got out, coming to her door and helping her out, then holding her tight as they stood there. Sam came walking out of the shop, and as Beth looked up at him, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "Beth? Dean, what the hell..." he said as he walked quickly over to them, reaching to touch her face. "What happened?"

"She met Dameon." Sam followed as Dean helped Beth to the house. "Sammy, can you get us some ice?" Sam nodded, and Dean sat Beth on a kitchen chair, going for the med kit in the bathroom. Bobby walked into the kitchen, his face reddening with anger as he saw her.

"Balls! What happened, Bethany? Damn it, Dean!" he said as Dean came back with a washcloth and the med kit. Dean didn't answer, going down on one knee to gently clean blood from Beth's face.

"It was Dameon," Beth said quietly. "He possessed Keith." She looked into Dean's eyes as he finished, reading the mix of anger and fear there. "I'm okay, Dean. I'll be fine." The muscles in his jaw worked as he stared back at her, then nodded shortly and moved aside to allow Sam through with the ice pack. Beth held it to her face, and Sam knelt down next to her, hugging her with one arm before standing back, looking sorrowfully down at her. "Seriously, guys, I'll be okay. I'm a little shaky, that's all-I think I need to lie down for a while."

Bobby stared after them as Dean helped Beth up the stairs. He turned to Sam, his mouth tight with anger. "Damn it, Sam-we have to kill this son of a bitch."

"I know, Bobby."

* * *

Dean laid down with Beth, holding her in his arms. She looked up at him and he kissed her, his hand gently touching her bruised face. "Dean, he was going to..." A tear escaped her eye as she struggled to speak, and Dean kissed her softly again.

"Shhh. I know, but we stopped him. He'll get near you again over my dead body."

"He said there was a prophecy, but he wanted his version-a demon child born of a hunter's bitch. That's what he said." Beth spoke softly, tears flowing freely now, and Dean hugged her close to himself, fury building deep within him at the demon and at himself for failing to kill him. He touched his lips to hers again, and she kissed him back almost desperately. Pulling back to look into his eyes, she whispered, "Dean-I need to remember your touch, not his. Please, help me forget." Her eyes were pleading, and he brushed the tears from her face as he kissed her softly at first, then focused his entire being on making her forget, at least for a while.


	17. Chapter 17

A few hours later, the three men sat in the living room, poring over books. Dean had left Beth sleeping upstairs and come down to help Sam and Bobby search for any scrap of information on protecting Beth or killing the new king of Hell. Dean snapped the book shut, standing and sighing with frustration. "There's got to be something we can do, Bobby. She carries the hex bag with her, what else can we do?"

"He found her because of Keith, Dean. They've watched her, they know her connections."

Dean's eyes widened as he looked at Bobby. "Jody..."

Bobby was shaking his head. "She has an amulet." Dean nodded, relieved.

"What about Rick and Linda?" Sam asked, frowning in concern.

"I fixed them up last time we were in Lovell," Bobby said, closing his book and reaching for the whiskey bottle and a glass. At that moment, a crash sounded from upstairs. Dean ran for the stairs, taking them two at a time, followed closely by Sam and Bobby.

He burst into the room to see Beth flailing on the bed, the lamp in pieces on the floor. "She's having a seizure," Sam cried out as Dean kicked his way through the debris of the lamp and put a hand on her forehead, trying to get a hold on her hand while Sam did the same at her other side.

"She's burning up," Dean said between clenched teeth, trying to hold her still so she wouldn't hurt herself. Her back arched again, and she screamed, sitting up suddenly, ripping her hands away from Dean and Sam. Her eyes flew open and she gasped loudly, as if she had been underwater and unable to breathe. Then she began trembling violently, and Dean sat next to her, his arms tight around her as she whimpered softly, her body limp in his grasp. "Bobby, what the hell?" He looked at the older man, fear in his eyes.

"I don't know, Dean. Until she can talk to us, I don't even know where to start." He and Sam looked helplessly on as Dean held Beth's quaking body in his arms.

* * *

It had been a few hours since Beth's seizure, and she still hadn't spoken a word. She had taken the cup of tea Bobby brewed for her, sipping at it, not once meeting any of their eyes. She seemed to be in a daze, and Dean was getting more worried by the minute. "Bobby-do we need to take her to the hospital? Could there be..."

"No," Beth said quietly. "I'm okay."

Dean sat next to her, taking the cup from her hands and setting it aside. He took her hand, bending to look into her face, but she still wouldn't meet his gaze. "Beth-do you remember anything?" he questioned her quietly.

"It was an angel. His name was Samael. He said you and I..." Her body began shaking again, and Dean held her tightly. "I can't, Dean...I can't talk about it," she whispered, crying softly again.

"It's okay, Coop-we'll see what we can find out about him." Bobby was already searching for a book, and handing a stack to Sam.

That night Dean finally coaxed Beth into coming back upstairs with him, but she protested vehemently when he tried to get her to go to bed. "No, Dean, I can't go to sleep. He'll come back." He was holding her in his arms, feeling her body quake, and anger flared up inside him at her fear. He had felt that kind of fear, not wanting to fall asleep because the dreams of Hell would overtake him. The thought of her going through even a little of that kind of terror made him feel sick. Bobby and Sam had warded the house against angels, but they weren't reassured that would keep them from her dreams.

He put a gentle hand on her face and kissed her. "Beth-I'll hold you in my arms all night. If I even feel you tense up, I'll wake you. All right? Besides-if he gave you the message he was supposed to deliver, maybe he won't come back."

Beth looked up at him, and the desperate hope in her eyes tore at his heart. "Do you think so?"

"I'm hoping, Coop. But I'll be right here, and if you start dreaming, I'll wake you. I promise." Beth took a deep breath and nodded slowly, and they changed and crawled into bed. Dean held her close, hoping that he was right about them leaving her alone. Tomorrow maybe he could finally coax her into telling him what this angel wanted, and then they could try to deal with it.

* * *

Dean smiled gently at Beth as she stirred the next morning. She had slept all night, even though he had jerked himself awake at every sound or movement she had made. She smiled back at him as he traced the line of her jaw with a finger. "No dreams?"

"No dreams. Thank you, Dean." She looked at him, concern in her eyes as she touched his face. "You didn't sleep much, did you? You look exhausted."

"I'm fine." Beth snuggled closer to him and they laid there silently for a few moments before he spoke again. "Do you think you can tell me about it now?"

He could feel the tension in her body as he asked, and she didn't answer for a few seconds, but she finally nodded. "The angel-Samael-Dean, he was terrifying. Not how I pictured angels at all. I guess I thought they were all like Cas."

"Trust me, Cas can be terrifying if he wants, Coop."

She began again, her voice hesitant and quiet. "He talked about Dameon. Since Crowley was killed, there's been a power struggle down there, fighting over who will rule Hell. And I guess Dameon won, or is winning, I'm not sure. And he wants to bring hell on earth, like they all do, I guess." She was trembling a little now, and Dean tightened his grip on her. "He showed me, Dean. He showed me what this demon wants to make the world into." Dean could feel her tears as she began crying softly.

"He showed you Hell?"

"I guess, I don't know-I just know it tears me up inside, it makes me sick, Dean. I can't..."

"I know." Dean squeezed his eyes shut, his jaw clenched in anger. Why would they show her the horrors of Hell? What was the purpose of that? He wished fervently that he had his hands around the throat of the creature that had put those images in her mind. "What did he want from you, Beth? Why did he show you?"

Beth took a ragged breath, then pulled away and sat up, turning away from Dean and moving to the edge of the bed. "He said I had a great honor and a great responsibility. That I would have a child, born of the line of the demon killers, the Winchesters. And that this child would become a vessel of heaven when he reaches the age of 7. And that he would destroy Dameon and prevent hell on earth." She was shaking and crying, and Dean moved to her side, pulling her close. "He said you and I will have a child, and when he is 7 years old, he will become a demon-killing weapon of heaven-and he will be sacrificed to save the world. And that we should be proud to be chosen." She leaned into Dean, her strength and energy spent, trembling uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.

Dean sat holding her, in shock at her words, not knowing what to say. Then Beth suddenly pulled away, flinging open the door and running down the stairs. He grabbed his jeans from the floor and put them on as quickly as he could, following her. He could hear her in the bathroom, retching. He stood with a hand on either side of the door, fighting the urge to tear something apart, break something into splinters. There were no more sounds coming from the room, and he took a deep breath. "Beth, are you all right?"

"I'm okay," she answered weakly. "I just can't...I can't think about it without-it makes me sick, I'm so sick." Dean leaned his forehead on the door, fighting to control his own emotions.

"Let me in, Beth-let me help you. Please." After a moment, the lock turned on the door and he opened it carefully. She was on her knees, and he dropped to his beside her, pulling her violently shaking body close and holding her tight. He felt a couple of his own tears slide down his face, and heard Sam speak quietly behind him.

"Are you guys okay? Dean-what the hell..." His brother looked up at him, shaking his head, and Sam felt tears sting his eyes at the pain on Dean's face. He hadn't seen him like this since he had opened up about his experience in Hell, and Sam felt icy fear in the pit of his stomach. He laid a hand on Dean's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze before leaving them huddled together on the bathroom floor.

* * *

Sam, Dean and Bobby sat together in the kitchen, a bottle of whiskey in the middle of the table and a glass containing the amber liquid in each of their hands. Jody had gladly come out to be with Beth so Dean could fill the others in about Beth's encounter with Samael. He told them what the angel had said to Beth, and they sat there in quiet shock for a moment. "Haven't they put us all through enough, Dean? Why can't they just leave her alone?" Sam shoved his chair back and stood, his face distorted with anger.

Bobby downed his drink, slamming the glass to the table. "Like hell that is gonna happen," he growled. "Where do these angels get off thinking they can screw with this family's destiny every time there's a new demon in town?" He stood and headed for the door.

"Bobby-where are you going?" Sam asked as the older man jerked open the door.

"I'm gonna have me a talk with an angel," he said, stepping outside and slamming the door. Sam and Dean's eyes met, and they rose quickly, heading outside. Bobby was standing in the yard, shouting at the sky. "Castiel, get your ass down here now! I want some answers, you son of a bitch!"

Sam walked to where Bobby stood, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Bobby-calm down. What good is this going to do? Cas isn't the one who visited Beth, he might not even know about it."

"Balls! He knows something, they all do. He's supposed to be your friend, and he couldn't tell you something like this was in the works? That's bullshit, boys!" He turned his gaze skyward again. "Castiel! I'm talking to you!"

"You do not command the host of Heaven, Bobby." Castiel stood behind them, his voice calm, but Dean thought he heard distant thunder as he spoke.

"Bobby, let me talk to him," he said quietly, walking towards the angel. "Cas-can you tell us what's going on? Why would that feather-wearing dick do this to Beth?"

Castiel moved his gaze to Dean. "You are speaking of one of the archangels, the Destroyer, the Angel of Death. He is among the most fearsome of us all. Guard your tongue, Dean. He does not take disrespect lightly."

Dean stood staring back at him, his lip curled in contempt. "I guess it takes the most fearsome angel in Heaven to scare the crap out of a sweet girl like Beth. Why can't you all just ask for help if you need it, instead of trying to manipulate our lives? What happened to that free will we fought so hard for, Cas? What the hell has happened to you?"

Cas looked back at Dean impassively. "Dameon is very dangerous. He has taken over Hell. He wants to destroy the world."

Dean let out a short sarcastic laugh. "Dangerous? Like, say, Lilith? Or Mother? Or Lucifer? Or Crowley? And the Leviathans? Because we never took care of any of them, did we, Cas? If you would just give us the information we need, and let us do our jobs, and quit screwing with us..."

"I am not screwing with you, Dean. I am just telling you the facts."

"Tell me one thing, Cas-and I need to know this. Is Samael planning to visit Beth again? Or can she get back to sleeping, like a normal person? Because if he comes to her again, I swear I will find an angel blade and finish him off myself."

"He has given her revelation. He will not return, not until the time comes near." Cas looked at each of them in turn. "I wish I could be of more help, but there is little I can do. The free will we fought for still exists, Dean. If Dameon is destroyed before destiny is fulfilled, the course can be altered. I pray that you and Beth, and your child, will live long and peaceful lives."

"Fine. There's a simple solution to this whole mess. We just won't have a child, Cas."

Cas stared back at him. "It's too late, Dean."

The three men stood staring at Castiel in stunned silence, and then with a rush of wind, he was gone. Dean closed his eyes for a moment, his jaw clenched, and then silently went back into the house. Bobby was shaking his head as he looked at Sam, and they followed.

Sam spoke as his brother poured himself a drink. "Dean, how..."

"We've always been careful, Sammy. Beth's on birth control." He downed the whiskey and poured another. "I guess destiny wins again, huh?" His voice was bitter and angry, and Bobby put a hand on his shoulder.

"I guess we'll just have to take destiny by the balls and take care of that evil son of a bitch ourselves, then, won't we?"

Dean looked at Bobby, tight-lipped determination on his face, and nodded in agreement. "I guess so, Bobby." He dropped into a chair, and Sam sat down across from him, grabbing his drink.

"Dean-does Beth know?" Sam asked quietly.

Dean met his brother's troubled eyes. "I don't know, Sammy."

"She knows." Beth's voice came softly from the doorway. She started towards him, but he met her halfway, and they held each other tightly. Jody came to stand near Bobby, sympathetic tears in her eyes, and he reached up to take her hand.

Sam stood up and moved to put a supportive hand on Beth's shoulder. She looked up at him with a sad smile, then turned to embrace him as he put his arms around her. "Don't worry, Beth. We'll take care of this. We've never played their game the way they want us to, we're not gonna start now." She nodded, giving him one last squeeze before turning back into Dean's waiting arms.

* * *

"Where are you going, Beth?" Jody asked quietly as Beth grabbed her jacket off the hook near the door and slipped her shoes on.

"Just outside for a little bit-I thought I'd get a some fresh air, clear my head a little, you know?" Jody gave her an understanding smile as she turned to walk out the door.

Dean walked into the kitchen when he heard the door close, worry on his face, and Jody put a hand on his arm. "It's okay, Dean. She just wanted some air." He went to grab his jacket off the hook, and she spoke again. "You might want to give her a couple of minutes-she's just trying to wrap her head around this, Dean."

He stared at the floor as he spoke, his voice full of guilt. "I don't even know what to say to her, Jody. I never should have touched her. I know better. Everyone Sam and I have ever been involved with-everyone-something horrible happens."

Jody reached for his hand, understanding in her eyes. "Sweetie-do you love her?"

Dean was still staring at the floor, glancing up at her for only a moment as his emotions played across his face, and she squeezed his hand."Yeah. God help her, I do."

"Then you shouldn't feel that way. If you two love each other, you will find a way through this. Okay?" She released his hand, patting his arm as she walked past him. "Now, go talk to the girl." He looked out the window to see her, hands in pockets, leaning against the trunk of the Impala, her face turned up to the sun, her eyes closed. He took a breath, slipping his arms into his coat, and headed out the door.

Beth turned her head as she heard the door close, smiling faintly at him as he approached her. He copied her stance, leaning against the car, his hands in his pockets. "How are you doing?" he asked, glancing over at her. She was staring out over the salvage yard, her eyes wandering aimlessly over the cars and piles of iron, and was quiet for a moment before answering him.

"I don't know, Dean. I guess I feel like there's a little time to deal with the whole vessel of heaven thing, and I've got faith that you guys will figure something out. But there's something we haven't even really thought about, talked about. Dean-we're having a baby. Us."

"I know. This is going to be the best-looking baby ever born, right?"

Beth couldn't help but smile, even as her eyes filled with tears. "Not exactly what I meant. We don't know anything about babies, Dean. We're supposed to be mature, responsible adults? Hell, half the time we act like children ourselves! Raise a child? Do we even know where we stand, Dean?"

Dean stared at the ground, chewing on his lip. He took a deep breath and moved to stand in front of Beth, his hands on her arms, his green eyes direct as he met her gaze. "I know where I stand. I love you, Coop. And I'll do whatever I have to do to get us through this." He bent to kiss her as her tears overflowed, then moved his hands to her face. She smiled up at him as he brushed tears from her cheeks and gently kissed her again.

"I love you, Dean." She smiled as she looked up at him. "I hope the baby gets your eyes." He let out a low chuckle as he pulled her into his arms. They stood holding each other for a time, unaware that the others inside the house were looking on with approving smiles. Jody shooed Bobby and Sam away from the window and dropped the curtain, and they headed into the next room.


	18. Chapter 18

Dean rolled over, his arm reaching without conscious thought for Beth. Her side of the bed was empty, and his eyes snapped open, his heart beating faster. He got out of bed and threw on his jeans, grabbing his Colt from the bedside table, stuffing it into the waistband at his back and rushing down the stairs.

He walked quickly into the kitchen, peering into the connecting rooms, then headed outside, leaving the door ajar. He walked towards the shop, eyes scanning side to side, every muscle tense with apprehension. The crunch of gravel underfoot caught his attention, and he whirled, arms extended, the Colt in his hand.

"Whoa-dude, relax," Sam said as he and Beth halted in their tracks. Beth's eyes were wide, taking in Dean's bare feet and his half-dressed state, and she stood completely still for a moment as he lowered his arms and blew out the breath he'd been holding. He leaned back on the Impala, his eyes closed for a moment.

Beth watched him with concern, confused. "Dean, what's going on?" she asked quietly, approaching him. He grabbed her, hugging her tight as he tried to calm himself from the adrenaline rush.

"I woke up, and you were gone," he said through clenched teeth, his voice harsh.

Beth pulled back to try to look into his eyes. "We just went for a run. I didn't want to wake you." Dean's gaze was focused behind her, the muscle in his jaw working, and she put a hand to his face. "Dean-look at me."

He looked at her, the fear slowly fading from his eyes. "Next time-wake me." He sounded angry, and Beth's brow furrowed in confusion.

"I'm sorry, Dean. Sam was with me, I didn't think..." Her voice trailed off as she looked into his eyes. "Dean, I'm okay." Her hand gently caressed his face, then came to rest on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I scared you, but I'm okay."

Dean took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before he spoke, his voice tight with tension. "Do you realize that you're a target, Beth? That you're probably on the top of every demon's to-do list? The prophecy says that this baby will kill the king of hell. You're a trophy, Coop. And you just go out for a run!" He shot a glare over her head at his brother, who stood silently, lips pressed tightly together. Then he took hold of her arms, setting her gently back from him, and turned to stalk back to the house, leaving Beth and Sam to stare after him.

Beth looked up at Sam, tears stinging her eyes, and he shook his head slightly, stepping forward and putting his arms around her. "Sorry, Beth. He's just worried." She nodded, letting a couple of tears fall and accepting the comfort Sam offered for a moment before pulling away.

"I suppose I should go talk to him," she said softly, brushing away a tear. Sam nodded as she walked towards the house, watching until she closed the door behind her, then heading into the shop.

Beth walked through the kitchen, looking into the living room, then heading up the stairs. She stopped in the doorway to the bedroom, her eyes on Dean, who was sitting silently on the edge of the bed, arms resting on his knees. He stared wordlessly at the floor as she approached him, placing a hand on his back as she sat next to him. "Dean, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone without telling you." He still didn't move or speak, so she moved to kneel on the floor in front of him, taking his hands in hers. "Dean. Come on, don't close yourself off from me. Just tell me, what do you want?" Tears were filling her eyes as she looked up at him, and the wavering sound of her voice brought his gaze to her face.

His eyes were tormented, his face working as he fought his chaotic emotions. "I want to send you back to before you met me, to when you were safe. I want to lock you in Bobby's panic room until Dameon is dead." He stared down at her, watching her tears fall. "I want you to have a normal life, Coop. Not this messed-up existence we have, never knowing from day to day whether or not we'll make it to the next one. I don't want to have to think about what I would do if something happened to you."

"Do you want to know what I want?" Beth asked softly. "I want to be with you. If this 'messed-up existence' is what I have to live to have that, then so be it. I don't want another life, Dean. I want this one. I want you."

Dean let go of her hands, grabbing her arms and pulling her in close as he bent to kiss her. He lifted her gently from the floor and laid her back on the bed, hovering over her for a moment, meeting her eyes with a heated gaze that made her catch her breath before he captured her lips with his again.

* * *

"No way, Bobby. I'm not leaving." Dean stood, his arms folded over his chest, defiantly glaring at his mentor. It had been almost three weeks since they had been told about the prophecy, and Dean had refused to leave the place for anything other than a supply run into town.

Sam stood nearby, frustration clear on his face. "Dean, Garth needs help. Come on, man."

"You and Bobby go, then."

Beth stood in the doorway, her voice quietly interrupting their argument. "Dean-you have to do your job. You can't give up everything to watch me. I won't let you."

Dean turned towards her, fire in his eyes, his frown deepening. "And just how exactly are you going to stop me, Coop?" She stepped into the room, and Dean's eyebrows raised a little in surprise as Castiel followed. "Cas? What are you doing here?"

"Castiel has been doing a little demon-proofing. Haven't you, Cas?"

"There is now iron, etched with Enochian warding, buried below the surface surrounding this entire property. No demon can cross that line."

Cas took a step towards Dean. "Beth and the baby will be safe here, Dean. As long as she stays within the protection I put in place."

"I didn't ask for your help, Cas," Dean said bitterly.

Beth stepped forward, her chin raised a little defiantly. "No. I did."

"Why would you go to an angel for help after what they've done, Coop?"

"Because we needed his help. And not just to keep me safe. You can't give up what you're meant to do to watch me 24/7, Dean. If you do, people are going to die, and I don't want that on my conscience." She stepped closer to him, her hand on his arm, looking into his angry eyes.

"If I promise not to leave the property, will you please-please-go help Garth?" She turned her head to look once again at Castiel, who stood waiting silently near the doorway. "Thank you, Castiel. Maybe you'd better go."

Castiel met Dean's glare for a moment, then nodded silently and left with a rush of wind. Dean turned his gaze back to Beth, still frowning. "I can't believe you went to him behind my back," he growled softly.

"And I'm supposed to ask your permission? Get over yourself, Winchester." Beth pulled her hand back and turned to leave the room.

"Damn it, you two!" Bobby's raised voice stopped them in their tracks. "Knock off the pissing match and let's focus on what's important here. Beth is safe here, Dean, no matter how that happened. Stop fighting over who's in control and let's get some work done. Is that okay with you?"

Silence filled the room for a moment before Sam spoke quietly. "So what's going on, Bobby?" Beth stood where she was, her arms folded, and Dean shook his head slightly, his mouth tight with frustration, before walking to the desk to join the other men.

As Bobby filled the brothers in on Garth's situation, Beth walked into the kitchen and stood staring out the window, not realizing how hard she was gripping herself until she felt her nails digging into her arm. She sighed, dropping her arms and then reaching up to rub the back of her neck, which was aching with tension. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned her head to meet Sam's concerned hazel eyes. "Are you okay, Beth?"

She nodded, turning to face him. "I'm fine, Sam-thank you." He gave her shoulder a squeeze and smiled, turning to leave the room. She sat down at the table and glanced up at the doorway to see Dean staring back at her, his expression somber. She looked down at the table, hands clasped tightly, no words coming to her. When she looked back up, he was gone.

Within the hour, Sam and Dean were carrying their bags into the kitchen, preparing to leave for Portland, Oregon, where Garth was waiting. Beth stood quietly leaning on the counter as Dean set his bags down and approached her, putting his hands on her waist and leaning down to kiss her softly. He stared into her eyes for a moment before he spoke, his voice tight. "I just don't trust them, Beth. I can't believe you do."

"I never said I did, Dean. At least, not completely. But I knew Cas would help make sure I was protected so you could relax a little, and be able to focus on your job. That's all I was trying to do. I want you safe too, you know." She reached a hand to his face and his eyes closed as he leaned into her touch before kissing her again. Before he could speak again, she touched a finger to his lips. "I swear I won't leave the property. Just promise me you'll be careful." Her heart quickened a little as he smiled, a little of his old smirk showing through, and she put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer as she kissed him thoroughly. "Promise?" she asked, her voice teasing as she pulled back.

"Don't worry, I'm not that easy to get rid of," he said softly, then hugged her tight, trying to keep the mood light when fear at leaving her was trying to surface. "Bobby, you take care of her, you hear me?"

"You know I will, son," Bobby answered, and Beth stretched up to kiss Sam on the cheek as the brothers headed out the door. Bobby's arm came around Beth's shoulders and he hugged her as they watched the Impala turn onto the road.

* * *

Beth woke suddenly, heart racing, slowly coming to the realization that she was still alone in the room. She sat up, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, trying to calm her body's responses to what had been the beginning of a very good dream. She could still feel Dean's touch, his lips on her skin, and she shivered. She dropped back to her pillow, sighing, then jumped as her cell phone vibrated on the table next to her. She grabbed it, peering at the screen before answering breathlessly, "Hello."

"Hey, Coop. Sorry, I know it's late." His voice sent a little shiver through her, and she closed her eyes, taking another deep breath.

"It's okay-I wasn't sleeping."

"Are you okay?" He sounded worried, and she felt a rush of affection at his concern.

"I'm okay-just had a dream, and it woke me."

"Not Samael..."

"No, Dean-not that kind of dream." She wanted to bite her tongue as soon as the words left her lips, but it was too late.

"Really?" Beth could hear the leer in his voice, and fought a smile as she pictured his face. "Were you dreaming about us, Coop?"

"I didn't say that."

"What were we doing in this dream?"

"Use your imagination, Winchester," Beth retorted, feeling herself blush in the dark.

"Beth, come on..."

"You were kissing me, and-touching me."

"Where was I kissing you?"

"Dean! Stop it."

"I bet it was that spot on your neck that makes you go all weak, wasn't it?"

A quiet little moan of frustration escaped her lips, and Dean's low chuckle sent a thrill through her. "When are you coming home?"

"We're heading home tomorrow." He was silent for a moment, then spoke quietly, his voice a caress. "I miss you, Coop. If it makes you feel better, I've been dreaming about you, too."

"Right now the only thing that will make me feel better is you getting back here," she answered, closing her eyes, her longing for him almost overwhelming. "I love you, Dean."

"Me too, Coop." He paused for a moment, then spoke again, a teasing note in his voice. "Sure you don't want to describe your dream to me?"

"They have 900 numbers for that, Dean."

"Can't blame a guy for trying. Go back to sleep-maybe I'll finish what I started," he said, laughing softly at the noise he heard on the other end.

"Good night, Dean," Beth said, trying to sound stern and failing miserably. She hung up and laid her phone down, reaching for the lamp and her book; it was going to be a while before she could fall asleep again.

* * *

It was almost eleven o'clock two nights later when Beth heard noise downstairs and sat up in bed, putting aside her book. A smile spread its way across her face as she climbed out of bed and rushed down the stairs in her old t-shirt and shorts. She entered the living room, smothering a giggle at the look Bobby shot to her over the shoulder of the skinny man who was hugging him. Her face lit up as she met Dean's smiling gaze, and then she was enveloped in his strong arms. He kissed her, then smiled down into her adoring eyes. "Hey, Coop."

"Hey, Winchester." She stepped away from him for a moment to give Sam a welcoming hug. "Hi, Sam." As she turned from Sam, the gangly-looking man that had been attached to Bobby stood staring at her, his head cocked to the side, an almost silly smile on his face and his eyes sparkling.

"So this is Beth. I'm Garth. I'm real glad to meet you." He held his arms out as he walked towards her. "You know what's coming next." He wrapped his bony arms around Beth and hugged her affectionately, and Beth shot a wide-eyed look at Dean, who was grinning for all he was worth. When Garth released Beth, she couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Hi, Garth. It's great to meet you."

"I've heard a lot about you. You've got some pretty big stuff going on, I hear. Dean talks about you all the time." Dean rolled his eyes, and Beth smiled at his discomfort.

"Does he?" Dean grabbed her arm and pulled her back into his arms quickly.

"Okay-Bobby, Garth needs a place to bunk for the night before he heads east. That okay?"

"Well, yeah-of course it's okay," Bobby replied, pulling the bottle of whiskey out of the desk drawer. "Maybe we could share a snort together first, though. Haven't seen you in an age, Garth."

Garth and Bobby were talking nonstop as Sam took a seat on the couch, accepting the glass Bobby handed to him, and Dean grabbed Beth's hand, pulling her into the kitchen. She put her arms up around Dean's neck, running her fingers through his hair, and he bent to kiss her hungrily, his arms holding her tight against him. She was a little breathless as he raised his head, looking into her eyes. "It just keeps getting harder to be away from you, Beth," he said quietly, and she put a hand to his face.

"It's not easy for me here, either," she breathed, standing on tiptoe to touch her lips to his again. "I missed you so much."

He smirked a little, the heat in his gaze making her feel weak. "Did you ever get to finish that dream?"

Warmth was flooding her at the look on his face, and she answered in a whisper. "No-never did."

"Maybe we should go see how it ends," he growled softly, kissing her again and then leading her to the hall and up the stairs.

* * *

They lay in each other's arms later, unwilling to let sleep make their time together disappear even faster. Beth sighed quietly, snuggling closer to Dean's side, and he kissed her forehead, tightening his arms around her. She traced patterns on his chest with her fingers as she spoke softly. "One of these days you probably won't be so excited to come home-the way this baby is growing, I'll probably look like a Mac truck soon."

Dean tilted her head slightly with one hand and kissed her tenderly, his thumb caressing her cheek. "Do you think there's anything in the world sexier to me than the woman who's carrying my baby? You have nothing to worry about, Coop." He squeezed her tight again, and then a quiet laugh rumbled in his chest.

"What?" Beth asked, smiling at his laughter.

"Well, if you were going to look like a truck...it'd have to be a Peterbilt, wouldn't it?" Beth giggled, and soon they were both laughing uncontrollably. After a few seconds, a quiet knock sounded on their door.

"Are you guys okay?" Sam asked, and Beth struggled to calm herself enough to answer.

"We're fine, Sammy," she finally managed to say, then burst into another fit of giggles.

"Well-keep it down, okay? Some of us are trying to sleep." Sam grinned as he padded back to his bed, shaking his head.


	19. Chapter 19

Beth walked out to the shop, shivering a little in the early morning October air, a faint smile on her lips as she took a deep breath of the crisp air. The treadmill was the only activity she could do now, and with Dean gone on yet another hunting trip with Sam, she was bored and lonely.  
She started the machine at a slow pace to warm up, her mind wandering. The baby moved again, and she smiled, remembering Dean's face when he had felt it for the first time. It always seemed the weeks dragged on forever when he was gone, and disappeared far too quickly when he was home. But she always put on her happy face for him when a job came up, knowing that otherwise he would never leave her. He had become very protective of her lately, not that she didn't love it, but he still had a job to do-a job that took him away from her frequently and for long periods of time, unfortunately.

Jody had helped her find a licensed midwife, who had begun making regular visits. Three months more to go, Beth thought to herself, picking up the pace a little. She smiled to herself-Dean hadn't even wanted her to use the treadmill, but Teresa, the midwife, had finally convinced him that physical activity was good, especially when she was already accustomed to it. He would have been happier wrapping her in a cocoon until she gave birth. Beth shook her head, smiling fondly. She would never have guessed at this side of him when she first met him.

When she had finished her workout, she headed back into the house. Bobby was standing in the kitchen, talking on the phone, and she stopped as she heard his conversation. "Yes, Dean, she's right here. Hold on." He rolled his eyes as he handed her the phone, shaking his head as he walked towards the coffee maker.

"Coop. Why don't you have your phone with you? We've had this conversation."

"Dean, good morning to you too."

"Beth..."

"Dean. I'm sorry. I just went out to the shop to use the treadmill. Please relax."

"I'll relax when you start being more careful." He sounded angry, and Beth sighed loudly.

"Seriously, what is there to be careful about? It's not like I can go anywhere dangerous. I'm a prisoner here, Dean, and there are no demons allowed in the penitentiary."

Dean was silent for a moment as he heard the bitterness in her voice, and he spoke more gently when he continued. "Baby, I know you're going crazy being stuck there all the time. I'm sorry. But you need to carry your phone-not only are you on Hell's most wanted list, you're pregnant."

"No kidding? That's what this swelling is, I just thought I'd been eating too much of Bobby's pasta." He didn't answer, and she instantly felt remorseful for her outburst. "I'm sorry, Dean. Please just-no more lecturing, okay?" She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat down at the table, drinking from it before she continued. "I'm really sorry-I don't know where that came from. I guess being trapped here is starting to get to me."

"I know, Coop."

"When are you coming home, do you know?" She took a breath, frustrated at herself for the tears that were filling her eyes-it seemed to be happening a lot lately. "I miss you, Dean."

"I miss you, too, Coop. I'll give you a call when we're on our way-I think we've got a handle on this, so it should be soon," he said. He was quiet for a moment, then continued softly. "I wish I could make things better, Beth."

Beth swiped impatiently at a tear that had resisted her effort at control. "I know, Dean. I love you."

"I love you too, Beth. I'm dying to hold you right now." She heard him take a deep breath. "I need to talk to Bobby again, okay? I'll call you later." She handed the phone to Bobby after saying goodbye, then headed for the shower, finally giving her tears free rein. "Stupid hormones," she muttered to herself as she turned on the water and stood under the hot spray, her eyes closed.

* * *

Keith came out that afternoon, carrying with him a box full of receipts and credit card sales slips, along with his laptop. Since Beth couldn't go to him, he had begun bringing everything to Bobby's, and Beth was very glad for the distraction. Dean had balked at the idea at first, but when reminded that demons couldn't cross the border of the property, he had given in. "And besides, Dean, Keith's got the tattoo now.

There's no reason why this won't work," she had argued. He had cocked an eyebrow at her, a smirk on his face, and retorted, "Maybe I'm jealous," and she had answered, "Maybe you should be," then kissed him in a way that proved he had nothing to worry about.

Beth worked on Keith's books while he chatted in the other room with Bobby. He still acted awkward around her, in spite of reassurances from her and Dean that they held him blameless for what had happened. She worked on her own for a while, then called him into the kitchen for a couple of questions. The big man came into the room and hovered uncomfortably, and she finally looked up into his face, sighing.

"Okay, Keith. Apparently this is a low tolerance day for me, you'll have to forgive me for the pregnancy hormones, but-sit down." Her voice was brusque, and he glanced at her, quiet surprise on his face, as he pulled out the chair across from her and sat. "Keith, you seriously have to get over this. I have never blamed you for what happened, neither has Dean. You were possessed by a very powerful demon, there's nothing you could have done. The person who did those things and said those things to me was not you." She reached across the table and took hold of his hand, but Keith still looked down instead of into her face. "Keith, please-I just want my friend back. It's not like I have an abundance of them, and I'm kind of stuck here, so-please?"

He finally raised his eyes, then dropped his gaze to the table again, looking embarrassed. "I'm just so ashamed, Beth."

She sighed, squeezing his huge hand. "Okay-let's say I was run over by a car." He looked up at her, his brows drawn together in confusion.

"Just go with it. I was run over by a car, and you were in that car. You weren't driving. Was it your fault?"

"Well," he started hesitantly, "I should have tried to stop the driver."

"You were in the trunk."

His eyebrows raised. "Oh."

Beth nodded at him, smiling. "Yeah. See, you couldn't have done anything about it, right?"

"I guess not," he answered reluctantly.

"Same thing, Keith. The demon was driving, you were in the trunk."

Keith nodded slowly, then raised his eyes to Beth's face. "All right, little Beth. I see your point."

"Good." She smiled at Keith, glancing up to catch Bobby turning away from the doorway, a huge grin on his face.

* * *

Sam watched silently as Dean came back into the motel room, putting his phone back into his pocket and rubbing the back of his neck. "How is she, Dean?" he asked quietly, closing his laptop.

"She's okay. She's glad we're on the way home." He didn't elaborate further, and Sam leaned back in his chair, taking a deep breath.

"Dean, I think you should call Cas." Dean's head whipped around, his brows drawn together in a frown.

"And why the hell would I do that, Sammy?"

"For Beth. I know you won't ask for help for yourself, but do it for Beth."

Dean dropped down onto the bed, leaning his elbows on his knees and looking at Sam skeptically. "And what exactly is he going to do to help Beth? The angels are pretty much the ones that started this whole mess to begin with."

"I know. But I had an idea, and we need Cas for it to work." He stared into Dean's doubting face.

"Then why don't you call him?" Dean rose from the edge of the mattress and headed for the bathroom. "I'm gonna take a shower."

Sam sighed as the door closed and waited until he heard the water running, then turned his face up and closed his eyes. "Castiel-I need your help. It's for Beth, Cas." He opened his eyes as he heard the rush of wings, and met the angel's stoic gaze.

"Hello, Sam."

"Cas-thanks for coming." He took a breath, then explained his request to Cas, looking expectantly at him as he finished. "So-will that work? Can you do it?"

Cas nodded slowly. "Yes, that is possible. But I will need several hours to prepare the warding."

"And this won't harm Beth or the baby? Because Dean always complains about it."

"Dean complains about many things. It won't harm her."

"So you'll do it?"

"Yes."

Sam nodded, gratitude in his eyes. "Thanks, Cas." He looked towards the bathroom door as he heard the shower stop, and when he looked back, Castiel was already gone.

* * *

By sundown on the next day, they were pulling into the yard at Bobby's. Dean looked over at Sam as he turned the key, silencing the rumble of the Impala's engine. "I don't know, Sammy. Is he sure? This won't hurt her or the baby?"

"He says it won't. He wouldn't do it otherwise, Dean-you know that."

"Yeah, well, excuse me for having a few doubts. We've been burned a few times, Sam."

"I know, Dean. But there's no way Cas would do something to harm Beth, or the baby. And she needs a break."  
Dean sighed, his mouth tight. "I know."

"And for that matter, so do you."

Dean met his brother's gaze for a moment, then reached for the door. He stepped out of the car, opening the back door and grabbing his duffle bag, but setting it down immediately as he turned and Beth walked into his arms. They held each other silently for a moment, then he put a hand on her face and bent to kiss her softly. "Hey, Coop." She smiled up at him, and he smiled in return, still amazed at the love in her eyes. "I've missed you." The baby kicked, and Beth laughed.

"I guess he missed you, too," she said, then turned to hug Sam. "I'm so glad you guys are home." She backed away, glancing at each of them.

"No injuries? I don't have to sew anyone back together?" she teased.

"No, we're good, Mama," Sam said, smiling affectionately as he grabbed his bag from the car. He headed to the house as Dean enveloped Beth in his arms again and kissed her slowly and thoroughly, reveling in the feeling of holding her close. Then he picked up his bag and they walked to the house, his arm around her shoulders.

Bobby was slapping Sam on the shoulder and smiling as they walked into the house. "You doing okay, boy?" he asked Dean, who nodded in answer.

"Yeah, Bobby, I'm good. Better now." He dropped his bag, then pulled Beth into his arms again, holding her close as he and Sam told Bobby about the hunt. It seemed that lately there were more demonic jobs than monsters, and they had attempted to get information out of one demon they had managed not to kill outright, but with little success.

After the usual debriefing for Bobby, they sat down at the table to share a beer, and Dean looked over at Beth until she felt his eyes on her and turned to face him. "What?" she asked softly. "What's wrong?" He bit his lip a little, looking down at the table, then back up at her, the corners of his mouth turning up just a little.

"I think you should go pack a bag-that is, unless you don't want to get away from here for a while."

She looked at him, a confused frown on her face. "Dean, I can't leave here. What are you thinking?"

His smile grew a little as he bent to touch his lips to hers. "Yes, you can. Sam went to Cas. He put protection around the cabin in Montana, and he'll take us there. From one safe zone to another, I know it's not perfect, but at least it's a change of scenery." Beth's brown eyes widened, and Dean saw tears begin to sparkle in them. "Baby, don't cry. If you don't want to go, it's okay."

"Are you kidding me? Of course I want to go!" She took Dean's face in her hands and kissed him, then rose from her chair and went to Sam, throwing her arms around him. "Thank you, Sam!" She kissed his cheek, and Sam smiled up at her, his eyes shining.

"Thank Cas, Beth. He did all the work. And he's going to deliver you guys there."

She turned to smile again at Dean. "I'm going to go pack." She left the room, and Dean looked at his brother, gratitude in his eyes.

"Thanks, Sammy." Sam nodded, then stood and held his empty beer bottle up, raising his eyebrows in question. Dean nodded his answer, taking the cold brew from Sam as he returned from the fridge and listening to Bobby's latest report on various strange happenings he felt deserved some attention.

"But Sam and I will handle it, Dean. I think it might be time for you to stick kind of close to home for a while. Don't you think?" Dean met Bobby's direct stare, chewing absently at his bottom lip. He glanced towards Sam, who nodded in agreement.

"I think that's the best plan, Dean. Right now I think Beth needs you around."

Dean took a swig from his beer and set it down on the table. He nodded slowly, raising his eyes to meet each of theirs in turn. "All right. I know I'll worry a lot less if I'm with her." He looked down at the table again, then a little nervously picked up his beer and finished it. "Besides, she shouldn't have to go through this alone." He looked up into Sam's eyes, and Sam gave him a short nod of approval, once again amazed at the changes Beth had brought about in his big brother.

* * *

It was about an hour later when they had their things gathered for the trip to Montana. Sam called Cas, who responded immediately. He came to stand in front of Beth, looking impassively into her eyes. "This will feel a little strange to you, Beth. You may feel sick the first time, but you and the baby will not suffer harm." He turned to face Dean. "I will take you first, Dean, and your belongings. Then I will come back for Beth. Is that all right?"

Dean took a breath, then nodded. He put an arm around Beth's shoulders and pulled her close. "This might be a little scary the first time, but it's not bad, and it goes fast. Are you sure you're okay?" She looked up at him, smiling a little nervously, and nodded. He kissed her gently, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "See you in Montana, Coop." Then he let her go and turned to Cas, nodding. "Okay, Cas, let's get this show on the road." He picked up their bags, then Cas reached out and touched him and they were gone.

Beth walked over to Bobby, putting her arms around him and laying her head on his shoulder. "Goodbye, Bobby," she said quietly, kissing him on the cheek. He looked down at her, shaking his head at the tears in her eyes.

"Listen, girl-you're not leaving forever, ya know. I'll be seeing you soon. Besides, you'll have to take the cosmic taxi back here to see the midwife." The affection in his eyes softened the gruffness in his voice, and he kissed her on the forehead. "You take care, Bethany."

She moved to Sam next, looking up at him, her brown eyes still glistening with tears. "Thank you, Sam." He nodded, smiling gently, his own emotion showing in his eyes, then pulled her close and held her until Cas reappeared.

"Are you ready, Beth?" Cas asked, and she pulled back from Sam, smiling a little sadly, and turning towards the angel, nodding. She turned back once more, giving a little wave and mouthing 'goodbye,' and then they were gone.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Dean walked into the bedroom at the cabin, concern on his face. He sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at Beth. "Coop? You okay?" he asked quietly, brushing a few strands of hair from her face as her eyes slowly opened.

She blinked for a moment, sleep still clouding her mind, then looked over at him and smiled wanly. "I'm okay. I guess I fell asleep."

"But you're feeling all right?" Dean took her hand and helped her sit up, and she leaned over onto him, his arms around her.

"I'm feeling very good at the moment," she sighed contentedly, snuggling against his chest. He smiled, giving her a squeeze and letting relief wash over him. When Cas had brought her to the cabin earlier, she had looked pale and weak, and Cas had even looked a little worried at first. But he had laid his hands first on her head, then her belly, and she had relaxed immediately. Dean had put her to bed to rest, and she had been sleeping ever since.

"Are you hungry? I made some burgers," he asked, his fingers smoothing her hair. She pulled back slightly, leaning up to kiss his lips softly.

"I'm starved." A slow grin spread across his face and he kissed her, slowly and deliberately, finally stopping to look down into her eyes.

"Me too, but let's eat first," he teased, and she smiled as he rose, reaching out a hand to help her to her feet. "Sure you're okay?"

"I'm good-let's eat," she said, and left her hand in his as they walked out to the kitchen.  
They talked nonstop as they ate their burgers, filling each other in on things that had happened while they'd been apart. Dean smiled wryly when she told him about Keith, and she looked at him a little sheepishly. "I told him the pregnancy hormones were working overtime. I'm sure Bobby's sick to death of me."

"Bobby told me he thinks it's amazing how you're handling all of this."

"He said that?" Beth asked quietly. Dean nodded, and she smiled a little shyly, dropping her gaze for a moment. When she looked back up at him, he felt his heart lurch a little and his pulse quicken as he saw the love shining in her eyes. He leaned towards her, reaching his hand to touch her face, then slide behind her neck as he kissed her softly.

"How about desert?" he teased, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. He pulled her close, one hand still enmeshed in her hair, and one hand gently cupping her breast as he kissed her again, more urgently this time. Her breathy sigh at his touch spurred him on even further, and he moved his lips to her neck, supporting her with his arm as her knees gave way just a little. "Come here, Coop," he whispered, taking her hand and leading her to the bedroom. He undressed her, then himself, and made sweet, slow, gentle love to her before they fell asleep in each other's arms.


	20. Chapter 20

Beth got out of bed the next morning feeling great. She couldn't decide if it was their amazing lovemaking the night before, the change of scenery, or Cas' healing touch, but she smiled to herself as she stretched and headed out into the living room. It was quiet, and she frowned a little, wondering where Dean was.

She walked into the kitchen and found his note on the fridge: 'Going to town-back soon.' She smiled to herself again, then made a cup of tea and went to sit in front of the fire Dean had started before he left. She curled her legs up under her on the couch and let out a contented sigh, picking up her book.

She looked up later, hearing a rumbling, but it was far-off thunder, not the Impala. She frowned to herself and glanced up at the clock-she didn't know when he had left, but she had been up for over an hour and Dean still wasn't back. She reached for her phone.

His phone rang several times, then she heard a faint 'hello.' "Dean? Where are you?" The laugh at the other end chilled her blood, and she couldn't breathe for a moment.

"Beth. Sweet little Beth. How I've missed you."

"Dameon?" Beth's voice was shaking, her hands trembling uncontrollably now, her body cold with fear. "Where's Dean?"

"Oh, he's here, with us." At that moment, she heard Dean cry out in pain, and his voice shouting, "You bitch!"

"Sorry, it's a little loud here-we took the gag out so you could hear him scream. You know what we want, Beth. I can't allow you to have a child that will grow up to kill me, now can I?"

"You bastard!" Beth spat out the words, her teeth clenched tightly, tears beginning to fall.

"Come, now, Beth. A child you have never seen, or the man you love-seems simple to me. But then, I am a demon. I'll give you a little time to think. Danae, let's give her one more sample-for motivation." She heard Dean's hoarse scream of pain before the phone went dead.

A sob escaped her lips as she called Sam. It seemed as though it took forever for him to answer, but when he finally did, she broke down completely.

"Beth? Beth, you have to calm down. I can't understand you at all. Come on, midget, calm down and tell me what's wrong." Sam's heart was pounding as he waited for her to be able to speak, already sick with the certainty that his brother was in terrible trouble.

* * *

A little while later, Bobby sat on the couch with Beth, his arms around her, doing his best to comfort her. Cas had delivered Bobby and Sam to the cabin, and Sam stood looking out the patio door, trying to focus on coming up with a plan of action. He turned to Castiel, who stood not far away, staring stoically towards Beth as she cried in Bobby's arms.

"Cas-we're going to need your help on this one," he said quietly. "We don't know where they are, or how to find them. And we're going to need some angel power to get rid of some of those demons." Castiel still stared wordlessly at Beth, and Sam grabbed his arm, finally managing to get the angel's attention. "Cas! Are you listening to me?"

"Yes. I will try to help, Sam, but they will surely have warding against angels."

"Maybe. But will you just go try and find them, for now? Please." Sam stared at Cas, his brows drawn together in a worried frown and his jaw clenched, fighting desperately to keep himself together. Cas looked up into Sam's eyes and nodded once, and then he was gone.

* * *

"Bobby-what are we going to do?" Sam asked quietly. He and Bobby had finally convinced Beth to go to bed and try to rest, while they tried to come up with some kind of plan to get Dean out of the demons' clutches.

"Well, Garth is coming to help. We need all hands on deck for this, I'm afraid," Bobby said, shaking his head. "I don't know, Sam. We have the Colt, and an angel blade, and the demon blade...no-Dean had that, didn't he?"

Sam nodded soberly. "Yeah, he always carries that. Which means we have one blade and one gun, exorcism and holy water on our side. Against the king of hell and who knows how many demons." He flopped down into an overstuffed chair and threw his head back onto the headrest. "We're screwed, Bobby. Dean's screwed."

"Don't say that, boy." Sam looked up in surprise at the anger in Bobby's voice. "We are not giving up on him that easy, Sam. He'd never give up on us, you know that."

Sam sighed loudly, fighting the despair he was feeling. "I'm not giving up, Bobby-I'm just frustrated. I'm fresh out of ideas. If you've got some, I'd like to hear them." He sat up, leaning forward in the chair, his head hanging. He felt Bobby's hand on his shoulder and looked up into the older man's fatherly gaze.

"One step at a time, son." He gave Sam's shoulder a squeeze and walked to the kitchen for what seemed like his hundredth cup of coffee.  
As Bobby lowered himself to the couch, Castiel appeared in the room, a frown on his brow. "I found Dean. We need to hurry," he said, as Sam and Bobby scrambled to their feet.

"Is Dean okay?" Sam asked, his eyes wide. "Cas! Is Dean okay?"

"We need to go now," Cas answered, reaching for Sam's arm.

"Wait-we have to tell Bethany what's going on, Cas. Wait one minute," Bobby said, turning to walk quickly into the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed, touching Beth's hand gently as he spoke her name. "Bethany. Girl, we have to go. Cas found them. I just wanted you to know."

"I'm coming along," Beth muttered, half asleep, but Bobby stayed her with a hand to her shoulder as she tried to sit up.

"No, you're not." His tone brooked no argument, and she stared up at him, tears in her eyes.

"Bobby, please bring him back," she whispered, a tear escaping down her cheek. Bobby nodded, leaning over to kiss her forehead.

"We'll bring him back, Bethany." Then he rose and left the room, and Beth heard the sound of Castiel's wings as they left the cabin.

She crawled out of bed and headed for the living room, brushing tears from her face. She wandered aimlessly around the room, stopping in front of the patio door and staring unseeing at the mountains, trying unsuccessfully to shake off the heavy sense of foreboding that weighed on her spirit. "Please be all right, Dean," she whispered, then froze as a deep, unfamiliar voice sounded just inside the front door of the cabin.

"Hello, Beth." Beth whirled, eyes wide, to face the intruder, a barrel-chested man with more tattoos and scars than she could register at first glance and a handgun aimed her direction. He stood like a mountain blocking the doorway as he holstered his weapon. He looked at her for a moment, then rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he mumbled to himself. "A pregnant chick? That's what I'm supposed to be well-armed and prepared for? Give me a break." He strode towards her, reaching for her arm, and jerked back with a loud annoyed shout as she clouted him in the nose with the heel of her hand, causing a spray of blood to shower them both.

"Stay away from me!" she yelled as he cursed loudly. She grabbed her knife from the end table and held it in front of her, backing away slowly.

"You broke my nose, bitch!" he said, and his brows drew together in a threatening glower. "You are coming with me. I was told that I can't kill you, but if harm comes to the baby, he doesn't care. So you wanna play rough, or do you want to come peacefully?"

Beth glared at her assailant, fire in her dark eyes. "You do know what you're working for, don't you?" she spat at him as she let the knife fall to the ground.

He zip-tied her hands behind her back, and gave her a nudge towards the door. "I get paid, that's the only thing that matters to me, sweetheart." He shoved at her just a little harder, and she stopped resisting, moving ahead of him reluctantly, and he pulled the door shut behind them as he herded her outside to his waiting SUV.

* * *

Sam and Bobby stood a little unsteadily, regaining their bearings after their angel-aided flight. Cas stood staring from the copse of trees that hid them towards an old abandoned barn a few hundred yards away. "Where are we, Cas?" Sam asked, finally straightening up and taking a deep breath to clear his head.

"A few miles northeast of the cabin," Cas answered quietly. "They kept him close by."

Sam turned his head to check on Bobby. "You okay, old man?" he asked, and Bobby nodded slowly as he stood back up from the log he'd been resting on.

"How many, Cas?" Bobby asked, taking a careful step forward to make sure the earth didn't shift from under him.

"I count seven outside. Dameon and the one calling herself Danae are inside, and I sense four others."

Sam flashed a worried look Bobby's way. "Where's Garth? I thought you told him it was all hands on deck?"

Bobby shrugged. "He must've gotten held up, and we don't have time to wait."

Cas opened his coat, pulling his angel blade from its folds and handing it to Bobby. "Use this. Sam has one, and I can smite without a weapon. Save the Colt, the noise will draw too much attention." Bobby nodded in agreement, then met Sam's eyes and nodded again, determination hardening his features.

"Let's get this done, Cas. Sam, you ready?"

"Yeah. Cas, you can get to the other side of the building, and Bobby and I will just go straight at it. All right?"

Cas inclined his head, and then he was gone. Sam and Bobby took off at a lope towards the barn, trying not to alert the demons to their presence. Sam went to one side of the building and Bobby took the other, and within a few minutes they were meeting, together with Cas, at the rear of the building. Bobby pulled a shop rag from his pocket, holding it to a bleeding cut on his face, but the other two were relatively unscathed. "Bobby, are you okay?" Sam asked, concerned, and Bobby waved a dismissive hand.

"I'm fine. Let's get this done."

The trio walked back to the front of the building, and Cas blew the doors wide open with a wave of his hand. He stood there for a moment, then turned to face Sam and Bobby. "There's no one here," he said, confusion on his face.

"What do you mean, there's no one here? Dean? Dean!" Sam yelled as he walked through the building, and then they heard him yell once more. "Dean! Cas, get over here, now! Dean, can you hear me? Dean!" As the other two rounded the corner, Sam looked up, panic in his eyes.

"He's dead, Bobby, they killed him. Cas, do something!"

"Get back," Cas ordered curtly, kneeling down near where Dean's broken body lay, still chained to a chair.

"He's still warm, Bobby, but there's no pulse-that son of a bitch broke his neck." Sam ground his words out between clenched teeth, watching as Cas put a hand to Dean's head and closed his eyes.

"Balls!" Bobby shouted, then spoke more quietly to Cas. "Hurry, Cas-we have to get back to the cabin. I think this whole thing was a diversion, to get us away from Bethany." Sam's head snapped around as he stared back at Bobby, eyes wide.

A loud moan emanated from Dean as Cas' healing touch brought him back, healing his fractured neck. The angel snapped the chains holding Dean with a wave of his hand and took his arm, helping him to his feet. "Sam-help me hold him. I can finish healing him at the cabin, we need to go." Sam ducked under Dean's arm and supported him while Bobby laid a hand on Cas' arm, and they were gone, leaving a slowly settling cloud of dust where they had been.

* * *

Beth stumbled slightly as her captor shoved her through the door into the dank, musty-smelling basement room. He pulled the cloth bag from her head, and she blinked rapidly, her eyes adjusting to the fluorescent light. She could hear machinery of some kind running up above, and looked at the thug, frowning.

"Where are we?"

"If he wanted you to know, he wouldn't have had me blindfold you, now, would he? Just sit down and shut it."

"Right. I forgot how tough you are. Kidnapping pregnant women a third your size. I should really be more careful around you," she spat sarcastically, glaring at him.

"I said shut it," he answered, moving to stand in front of her and glaring down at her, his jaw clenched in anger. "I don't like smart-mouthed women."

Beth bit her tongue, swallowing another angry remark. Whoever this guy was, he genuinely seemed to be without a conscience, which meant she'd better not push him too far. She perched herself on the edge of a ratty-looking cot against the wall and stared around the room, trying to set to memory any details that might be helpful if and when she could get a message to someone. Somehow. She forced the feeling of hopelessness down, determined to keep her wits about her. Surely Sam, Bobby and Cas had managed to rescue Dean by now, and she prayed that he was all right. She could still hear his screams echoing in her ears as they tortured him, and she squeezed her eyes shut tight, fighting to keep her composure.

She heard footsteps coming down the hall, and felt her pulse speed up, fear stirring in the pit of her stomach. She looked up to see a large man, well over six feet tall, duck his head and enter the door. He was dressed in biking boots and leathers, and his long blond hair hung just past his shoulders. He turned his ice blue eyes towards her, letting them flash black for a second as he sent an evil grin her way. "Beth. How nice of you to accept my invitation." Danae stood behind him, a smart-ass grin on her face as well.

"Dameon. Wow. You really have a thing for bikers, don't you?" Beth quipped, ignoring the thrill of fear that sang through her at the possible consequences of her words.

"He does have to buy from the big and tall men's shops," Danae retorted. "But it's so much more fun when they're well equipped." She ran a hand suggestively down Dameon's chest, and the demon grabbed her wrist and roughly shoved her away.

"When do I get paid?" Beth's captor snarled. "I've got better things to do than stand around here watching your tearful reunion."  
Dameon straightened to his full height, folding his immense arms across his chest, his eyes going black again as he stared back at the man.

"Danae," he growled, "pay the man." Danae inclined her head to her boss, then turned to face the mercenary. Beth saw his eyes widen as Danae's eyes went black, and with a lightning-quick move, she slashed his throat open, spraying blood over herself and the floor. Beth cried out, backing up onto the cot and as close to the wall as she could get, cold with horror, as the man's body hit the floor with a loud thud.

* * *

Dean was breathing heavily, his teeth clenched, as Cas finished healing his battered body and stepped back. "Dean, are you okay?" Sam asked, a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine, Sammy, get off me," he said, his face still contorted from the slowly fading pain. "What the hell happened?"

"You don't remember?" Bobby came out of the bedroom, his face a mask of fear and anger, and he shook his head at Sam. "Dean, I hope you can pull it together. We have a problem. They have Beth."

"What?!" Dean launched himself off of the couch, causing Sam and Cas to step back. "What the hell! How could you let this happen?" He turned on Cas, who looked steadily at the floor. "I thought she was protected here, Cas! How did they get her?"

"Demons cannot get past the protection I put in place. But humans can."

Dean whirled to face Sam. "What is he talking about?"

"There are tracks outside, some kind of SUV. He must have sent a human to do his dirty work. And we think taking you was just a diversion to pull us away from Beth."

Dean swung his arm, launching the lamp halfway across the room as he spewed a stream of curses that should have set Castiel's hair on fire. He turned on Cas again, his eyes narrowed and his lip curled in fury. "What the hell were you thinking, Cas? Why would you leave her alone here? You're a freaking angel, you should have known what was going on!"

"Dean, you have to calm down," Sam said, putting a hand on Dean's shoulder. His brother turned, batting his hand angrily away and grabbing Sam's shirt in both hands.

"Don't tell me to calm down, little brother," Dean snarled, almost baring his teeth as he aggressively drove Sam back a step.

Sam brought his arms up, breaking Dean's hold on him, his face contorted in anger. Bobby's shout rang through the cabin, stopping the boys in their tracks, even though they still glared at each other. "Knock it off! You two can go outside and beat each other bloody later, but right now we have more important things to take care of." Bobby stepped closer, a thunderous frown on his brow, pushing Dean back away from his younger brother. "Dean, stop now, or I swear I'll kick your ass myself, damn it!" Dean stayed where he was, even though his heated stare continued to burn into Sam. Bobby blew out a tense breath and turned to speak to Cas. "Cas, can you..." His voice faded away as he glanced around the room. Castiel was gone.


	21. Chapter 21

Beth laid on the cot, one arm flung over her eyes to block the glare of the fluorescent light. She was scared, and angry, but she was determined to do everything she could to protect the child growing inside her. When the demons had left the room earlier to dispose of the body of her kidnapper, she had decided that resting was the best thing she could do for the time being. There were no windows in the room and the door locked with a steel bar from the outside, so there was no hope of escape anyway. And panic, although she had a bout with it after Danae cut that man's throat, wasn't going to help her, and wasn't good for the baby.

She sighed, trying not to worry about the condition Dean might be in. She shook her head-if Bobby had let her come along in the first place, she wouldn't be stuck here right now. Stupid overprotective men! She felt guilty as soon as the thought crossed her mind, knowing that they had all thought she was safe at the cabin. Who would even think of a demon hiring a mercenary to do their dirty work? She smiled grimly to herself. Maybe he was lucky the demon had killed him-if Dean had gotten his hands on the man, he would have wished for death.

Footsteps coming down the metal stairs outside the room startled her out of her random thoughts, and she sat up, backing up against the wall, her heart pounding. She unconsciously wrapped her arms protectively around her growing belly as the door opened with a muted screech of metal on metal. Danae stepped into the room, closing the door behind her and throwing a disgusted look in Beth's direction. She tossed a bag towards her, and Beth caught it, surprised.

"What is this?" she asked, distrust in her eyes.

"Dameon says you have to eat. So eat," the demon answered, strolling over to a chair and plopping down on it, throwing her feet up on a nearby crate. "Hope you like burgers."

"Because you care about my taste in food," Beth said sarcastically.

"Dameon said you need to eat, and if you don't eat-I'm the one that will pay for it. So eat, or I'll feed you," the blond spat back at her.

Beth opened the bag and pulled out the burger, unwrapping it as she glared at Danae. "Why does he care if I eat? He's just going to kill me anyway, because he's afraid of my baby."

An evil smile spread across Danae's face. "He's not going to kill you, whore. Once your baby is born, he can dispose of it. He wants you for himself-he told you that when you met him the first time."

Beth's stomach lurched inside her and the blood drained from her face. "I'll die before he touches me or my baby."

Danae rolled her eyes and rose from the chair, striding towards the door. "Oh, eat your burger and stop being so melodramatic." She tossed the words over her shoulder as she stepped through the doorway. As she turned to close the door, Beth saw a knife strapped to the demon's thigh, and her heart stopped for a split second, fear icing her veins.

"Where did you get that knife?" She rose from the cot, taking a step towards the blond without even thinking. Danae smiled, her eyes flashing black as she looked back at her. "Where did you get it, you black-eyed bitch?"

"I took it from Dean's dead body," the demon answered, a chilling smile on her lips. Then the door slammed shut and Beth heard the bar drop into place.

Beth's eyes were wide with shock, her breath coming in painful gasps. She turned, grabbing the first thing her hand touched, a small wire crate, and throwing it with all her strength across the room. It clattered loudly, echoing in her ears, as her tears fell. Inside her head she was reciting the mantra, "Demons lie. Demons lie. Demons lie," trying desperately to believe it. She turned, sweeping the food from her sight with her arm, and curled up on the cot, sobbing quietly.

* * *

Beth opened her eyes slowly, confused and disoriented. She was standing in the grass behind the cabin, the sun was shining, and she had no idea how she had gotten there. She turned, her eyes scanning the trees, and when she turned back, she took an involuntary step backward, startled. Cas stood before her, his head tilted a little to one side, concern in his eyes. "Cas? What are you doing here? How did I get here?"

"Beth-you are dreaming. That is how I was able to find you so quickly."

Beth reached for his arm, grasping it in desperation. "Cas, tell me Dean is alive!"

"Dean is alive."

She let go of the angel's arm and a quiet sob of relief escaped her lips. "Danae told me he was dead. Thank God, I was so afraid, Cas!"

"He was dead. I brought him back, and I healed him."

Beth let her tears fall unhindered, barely able to speak. "Thank you, Castiel. Thank you."

"I am looking for you now. You bear a mark at the base of your neck that I placed there when I delivered you to the cabin. It will allow me to find you, but they must have warding in place, because I could not sense you until you fell asleep. Can you tell me where you are?"

She shook her head slowly. "No, they put a bag over my head so I couldn't see where I was. All I know is, we drove for about 45 minutes, and I'm in the basement of a building with heavy metal doors and stairs. The man who took me-he had to stop and open a gate or something before we could drive in. I can hear machinery running up above, but that's all I know."

"Thank you, Beth. That will be helpful. We will find you, and we will get you away from Dameon." His blue eyes were kind, and she gave him a wavering smile, and glanced down at the grass beneath her feet. When she looked up again, he was gone.

* * *

"How do we even know she's still alive?" Dean asked angrily, pacing the floor, crazed with worry. "That baby was prophesied to be the end of Dameon, all he has to do is kill her..."

"Dean," Sam spoke to his brother in a calm voice, in spite of his own fears. "If Dameon wanted her dead, why wouldn't he have had her killed here? Why take her in the first place?"

Dean sank down to the couch, his head in his hands for a moment before lifting his anguished eyes to meet his brother's worried gaze. "Because he still wants her for himself. Which is even worse, Sammy." He stood again, walking over to stare out the patio door blindly. "If he touches her, I swear to God..." He stopped in mid-threat, turning, startled, as he heard Cas speak his name right behind him.

"Dean."

"Damn it, Cas!" He took a couple of breaths, calming his pounding heart, then looked at the angel, his lips tight and his brow furrowed in anger. "Where the hell have you been, Cas?"

"I just spoke to Beth-in her dream."

Dean's eyes widened as Sam stood, exclaiming, "What?"

"She is unharmed. She was...a bit hysterical. They told her you were dead," Cas said, looking at Dean.

"You told her..."

"Yes. I told her I healed you." Cas frowned slightly. "I put my mark on her when I brought her here, but the place they are keeping her is warded against me, so I was unable to find her until she fell asleep. She told me what she could about where she is being held." Cas gave them the scant information Beth was able to provide to him, and Sam pulled out his laptop to begin searching for industrial buildings in the area.

They narrowed the search down to two locations, both within an hour's drive of the cabin. There was a small power plant southeast of Whitefish, and about the same distance from the cabin going west there was an auto parts manufacturing plant. "Any way we can tell which one it is, Cas?" Sam asked, looking up at the angel.

Cas nodded slowly. "I can go to both-if I sense the warding, we'll know it's where she is being held." He vanished without another word, leaving the others to wait for his return.

* * *

Beth woke from her dream, relief washing over her like a balm. Dean was alive. She could hold on knowing that he would tear hell down to its foundations to look for her if necessary. She sat up, feeling more hopeful than she had dared to up to that moment. The best hunters on the planet were looking for her, with an angel kicker, and she actually allowed herself a smile as she rose and walked into the tiny bathroom. She splashed water on her face, looking into the mirror. Other than some dark circles under her eyes, she didn't look any the worse for wear.

She went back into the larger room, pacing around a little, avoiding the now-drying lake of blood where her captor had died. She walked the length of the room, back and forth, feeling the baby move and smiling a little. "I know. We're usually on the treadmill now, aren't we?" She had no means of telling what day or time it was, but her body knew her routine. She continued walking, something to occupy her mind and body for a while, and began talking aloud to the baby. "Remember when they sneaked us out to the clinic in Whitefish for the ultrasound? Your daddy was so proud when he found out you're a boy. He's got pretty big plans for you-different than the plans the angels have, that's for sure. He-well, we-want you to have a normal life, a normal childhood. We want you to have the life your daddy never got to have. I don't know how that's going to work, but we'll figure it out."

Footsteps were coming down the stairs, and she stopped, halfway across the room from the door, as the bar was lifted with a creak. Her heart was pounding, but the door only opened a few inches, and a box of donuts landed just inside the portal before it swung back shut and the bar dropped back in place. "Donuts? Really?" She was hungry, so she went to fill her water cup and sat on the cot to eat, glad that at least she didn't have Danae as a breakfast companion.

* * *

"Nothing? No demons? You've got to be kidding," Dean said, shaking his head. "Either they are damn confident we won't find her, or it's a trap, Cas."

"I watched the demon bring her food. He just took it inside and left again. It may be that when you enter the building Dameon will be alerted," Cas answered.

"If we destroy the sigils, you'll be able to come in, right?"

"If Bobby can manage to eliminate just one of them, I will be able to enter."

"Sam, Bobby, we're set? I don't want any screw-ups here, guys." Dean's face was tight with tension, and they nodded in agreement.

"We're ready, Dean." Sam looked into his brother's eyes, jaw set with determination. "Let's get her out of there."

Bobby nodded, and Dean looked to Castiel. "Cas-drop me off first, then come back for these two. Bobby will remove one of the sigils, then you can come in and help. Just warn us before you do your angel-glowy thing, I don't want to lose my eyeballs." Cas nodded his head, and Sam actually let a small smile curve his lips.

Cas dropped Dean off around the corner of the building from the basement entrance. He stood against the wall, leaning carefully to peer around to the doorway, and then flattening himself up next to the building, cursing quietly. "Son of a bitch!" A giant of a man, at least as tall as Sam and built like a tank, had just entered the door. Dean closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Dameon, I presume," he muttered. "Damn it." Sam and Bobby arrived just then, and Dean gave them a moment to recover from their cosmic taxi ride before filling them in. "She's got company. I'm sure it's Dameon, haven't seen this meat suit before, but I'm sure it's him."

Bobby spoke quietly. "Let me get in there and find a sigil. Once that's out of the way, between Cas and the Colt, we should be able to handle him."

Dean nodded, and Bobby headed for the entrance, opening the door and carefully scanning the area before slipping in and easing the door back shut. A few minutes, seemingly interminable to Dean, passed before Cas tilted his head and spoke. "The warding has been destroyed. I can enter now. I can see Beth. Dameon is with her."

"Then let's kick it in the ass-I want her out of there, and I want this son of a bitch dead." Sam nodded as his brother clapped him on the shoulder, and they headed for the door.

* * *

Beth sat on the cot, tense with fear as she heard the heavy footsteps outside the door. The bar lifted and she looked up as Dameon stepped into the room, determined not to cower in front of him. He smiled, chilling her to the bone, but she stared defiantly back at him. "Your friends are coming. Did you know?"

"I knew they would," she said, refusing to drop her gaze.

"They'll die."

"You are cocky, you know that? Even Crowley had enough sense to be cautious of the Winchesters."

"Crowley was a fool. And your lover is dead, I killed him myself."

"If that's true, then his brother is even more dangerous now. You are a fool, Dameon. You're a fool if you think you can win against them, and you're a fool if you think you'll ever sire your demon spawn with me. I'd cut my own throat first."

Dameon's eyes narrowed and he took a step towards her, but then stopped, turning his head towards the door. "And here they come." An evil grin curved his lips, his ice blue eyes turning black as he waved his hand. Danae appeared next to Beth, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the back of the room. Beth could hear the commotion, shouts and screams echoing through the building, but she still smiled at Dameon, shaking her head slightly.

"I hope the next king of hell is a little smarter than you. You have no idea what you unleashed-I almost feel sorry for you," she said quietly, and Dameon lowered his head, a thunderous frown on his face.

"Shut your mouth, bitch!" The sounds were quieting outside the room, and Dameon made a second motion with his hand, calling in reserves. "I can do this for an eternity," he growled, grinning once again. Then Danae's eyes grew wide, her mouth dropping open, and he turned slowly to see Dean Winchester in the doorway, Samuel Colt's gun in his hand.

"Winchester." Dameon spat the name from his lips, his eyes black with rage. "This is not possible. I killed you myself!"

Dean shrugged, a feral gleam in his eyes and a sneer on his face. "Guess it didn't take." He fired the Colt, hitting Dameon in the heart. He stared in disbelief at the vengeful hunter as he dropped to his knees, then landed face down on the floor.

Danae swung at Beth, but she blocked her, grabbing the demon's arm and sending a forearm smash directly to the blond's face. Danae looked up, furious, blood gushing from her nose, her eyes black-but surprise soon altered her features. Beth stood holding the knife that she had jerked from the sheath on the demon's thigh. "This belongs to the Winchesters," she said coldly, plunging the knife upward into Danae's chest, watching the fear in the demon's eyes fade to nothingness as she died and fell to the floor at Beth's feet.

She turned slowly, letting the blade slip from her fingers as Dean, in three long strides, came to her side. Her shaking hands were covered in blood, and she almost fell into Dean's arms as he clutched her tightly for a moment. He took her by the shoulders, looking into her face, scanning his eyes over her body for signs of injury as a little sob escaped her lips. "I'm okay, Dean." She clung to him with all her might, and he gripped her so tightly she could barely breathe, but she didn't care.

"Thank God, Coop." He raised his head, looking down at her again. "Are you sure?" She nodded, still crying, and he kissed her hard, then framed her face with his hands and did it again. He looked down at her, his own emotions getting the best of him for a moment, a tear making its way down his face as he stared into her eyes. "I thought I lost you, Coop." Then he crushed her to his chest again as Sam and Bobby burst into the room.

"Beth! Is she all right, Dean?" Sam asked as they stepped around Dameon's body, making their way to the back of the room where they stood in each other's arms.

"I'm okay, Sam," she said, and turned from Dean's arms to allow herself to be bear-hugged by first Sam, then Bobby. She looked up to see Cas, a smile on his blood-smeared face, and she walked towards him, her tears starting afresh even as she smiled back at him. He stood, unsure for a moment, as she wrapped her arms around him. Then he put his arms around Beth, patting her a little awkwardly on the back. She backed up to look into his gentle blue eyes and smiled, her lips still trembling with emotion. "Thank you, Cas. Thank you for saving him."

Cas tilted his head a little as he stared back into Beth's smiling face. "He's my friend," he said matter-of-factly. "I had to save him." He looked up as Dean's hand landed on his shoulder.

"Seriously, Cas. Thank you. We couldn't have done this without you."

Cas looked up at him and smiled. "Anything for the Winchesters."

Dean grinned. "How about you get us the hell out of here, then, buddy." Cas nodded, looking back towards Sam and Bobby.

"I'll be back for you," he said, and Sam nodded, smiling, as Cas, Dean and Beth disappeared from sight.

* * *

Almost three months later, Sam stood staring out Bobby's kitchen window, watching snow fall silently to the ground. He turned expectantly as he heard footsteps on the stairs, and stood, eyes wide, as the midwife, Teresa, walked into the room. "Well, Uncle Sam-would you like to go meet your new nephew?" Sam grinned in answer, heading into the other room.

"I'll get Bobby," he called over his shoulder. "We'll be right up." Bobby had finally given in to his need for sleep a few hours earlier, but Sam couldn't relax enough to close his eyes, so he had been up all night. He had been there to help calm his brother the few times he had left Beth's side for long enough to take a shot of whiskey, struggling with watching Beth's pain. Sam smiled to himself-Dean could take an insane measure of pain himself, but he didn't handle it so well when someone he truly cared about had to go through it.

He and Bobby stepped into the room, both unable to keep the smiles from their faces at the sight before them. Beth held the baby, talking quietly to him, her hands touching his dark, downy hair. Dean sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes on his son, who gripped his father's finger in his tiny hand. Sam looked over to see Bobby's eyes full of tears, and put a hand on his shoulder.

Beth looked up at the two of them, her face exhausted, but glowing as she smiled. "BJ, this is your Grandpa Bobby and your Uncle Sam."

"BJ?" Sam raised an eyebrow as he asked, and Dean looked up at him, a grin lighting up his face.

"Bobby John, Sammy."

"You're kidding."

Beth laughed quietly. "No, he's not kidding. Robert John Winchester. Bobby John. We're calling him BJ for short."

Bobby wiped roughly at his eyes. "Damn it, you two."

Beth teared up as she smiled up at him. "Come here, Grandpa," she said, nodding towards the chair next to the bed.

"Nah, I'm no good at that kind of stuff," he protested, but Dean stood and pointed at the chair.

"Sit, Bobby," he ordered gently, and Bobby complied a little reluctantly. Dean came to that side of the bed and Beth handed BJ to his daddy, who turned and placed the little bundle into Bobby's arms. "He's not gonna break, Bobby," Dean teased, and after a few seconds, the older man relaxed a little, looking down at the baby and smiling a little at the expressions on the tiny face. Sam stood behind Bobby, looking down at his nephew.

"You guys do good work," he said, smiling at his brother's grin as Dean sat back down next to Beth, pulling her into his arms as she rested, contented, against his chest.

Dean kissed the top of Beth's head, giving her a gentle squeeze. "I told you this would be the best-looking baby ever. Did I lie?" Beth looked up at him, smiling as he kissed her lips softly.

"No, I'd say you got that one right," she said, snuggling back against him, sighing happily and letting her eyes close, drifting off to sleep in Dean's arms.


End file.
